THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


POCKET   GUIDE 

TO    THE 

COMMON  LAND  BIRDS 

OF 

NEW  ENGLAND 


BY 

M.   A.   WILLCOX 

PROFESSOR  OF  ZOOLOGY,  WELLESLEY  COLLEGE 


LEE   AND    SHEPARD    PUBLISHERS 

IO      MILK      STREET 
BOSTON 


COPYRIGHT,  1895,  BY  LEE  AND  SHEPARD 


All  Rights  Reserved 


COMMON  LAND  BIRDS  OF  NEW  ENGLAND 


PREFACE 


THIS  little  book  is  the  outcome  of  a  long  experi- 
ence in  teaching  college  women  to  study  our  com- 
mon birds.  It  lays  claim  to  no  originality  in 
statement,  but  is  a  mere  compilation  which  has 
drawn  freely  on  all  available  sources.  In  general 
it  explains  itself,  but  a  few  preliminary  statements 
may  suitably  find  place  here. 

The  book,  as  its  name  implies,  is  devoted  to  the 
New  England  birds ;  but  as  these  little  creatures 
decline  to  rule  themselves  by  our  geographical 
lines,  nearly,  if  not  quite,  all  of  the  forms  men- 
tioned will  be  found  in  the  Middle  States  as  well. 
The  list  does  not  aim  to  be  a  complete  one,  even 
for  New  England.  In  the  interests  of  clearness 
and  simplicity  it  omits  nearly  all  those  rarer  birds 
which,  as  experience  has  shown,  the  beginner  is  not 
likely  to  encounter  ;  and,  moreover,  it  includes  typi- 
cal adults  alone,  omitting  (save  in  the  cases  of  the 
robin  and  bluebird)  mention  of  the  immature  plu- 


iv  Preface 

mage,  and  in  all  cases  the  mention  of  the  transitional 
plumage.  With  one  or  two  exceptions  the  birds  in- 
cluded are  to  be  found  in  Wellesley,  most  of  them 
in  the  college  grounds.  The  times  of  arrival  and 
departure  and  of  egg-laying  are  for  the  vicinity  of 
Boston  ;  but  the  notes  on  the  time  of  song,  especially 
of  fall  song,  have  been  drawn  from  Bicknell's  A 
Study  of  the  Singing  of  Our  Birds,  and  are  for  the 
neighborhood  of  New  York.  The  names  em- 
ployed are  in  general  those  authorized  by  the  Amer- 
ican Ornithological  Union ;  in  some  instances  a 
second  popular  name  is  given,  but  this  invariably 
follows  the  A.  O.  U.  popular  name.  In  describing 
the  size  of  a  bird,  the  "  sparrow  "  referred  to  is 
always  the  English  sparrow,  although  that  fact  has 
been  stated  only  when  it  seemed  necessary  to  avoid 
confusion. 

The  key  has  been  constructed  purely  to  aid  the 
student  in  learning  the  popular  names.  For  this 
reason  repetition  has  been  freely  employed.  The 
red-winged  blackbird,  for  example,  which  is  black 
with  a  patch  of  red  and  yellow  on  each  shoulder, 
will  be  found  under  the  headings  "black,"  "red," 
and  "  yellow ;  "  the  tree  swallow,  whose  back  is  of 
a  bluish  green,  will  be  found  under  '<  green  "  and 
under  "blue,"  and  so  on.  So  also  birds  in  which 
the  spots  on  the  breast  are  very  obscure  have  been 


Preface  v 

included  both  in  the  group  of  "birds  with  spotted 
breasts,"  and  in  that  of  "  birds  with  unspotted 
breasts." 

The  student  may  occasionally  be  puzzled  by 
finding,  after  one  description  of  a  bird  in  the  key, 
the  words  "  either  sex,"  and  after  another  descrip- 
tion of  the  same  bird  the  word  "  female."  In  some 
cases,  as,  for  example,  the  pine  warbler,  the  females 
vary  widely,  sometimes  quite  closely  resembling 
the  male,  sometimes  being  decidedly  unlike  them. 
Hence  two  descriptions  of  a  female  are  necessary. 

This  little  book  will  have  failed  of  its  purpose  if 
it  does  not  stimulate  a  desire  for  larger  and  better 
bird  biographies.  Occasional  articles  have  been 
mentioned  in  the  body  of  the  text.  I  add  here  an 
annotated  list  of  ornithologies  which  treat  of  New 
England  birds. 

1.  AUDUBON.  Birds  of  North  America.  This  is 
one  of  the  three  great  ornithologies  of  the  early 
part  of  the  century,  and  is  by  far  the  greatest. 
It  is  a  large  and  expensive  book,  and  is  now  rare. 
It  is  devoted  mainly  to  accounts  of  habits,  and  is 
illustrated  by  colored  plates,  which,  in  the  folio 
edition,  are  exquisitely  true  both  in  form  and  color- 
ing. The  arrangement,  and  in  a  few  cases  the 
names  of  the  birds,  are  unlike  those  now  adopted. 


vi  Preface 

2.  BAIRD,    BREWER,    AND    RIDGEWAY.      History 
of  North  American  Birds.     This  is  a  large  work  in 
three  royal  octavo  volumes,  and  is  fully  illustrated. 
It  is  probably  the  most  complete  and  reliable  orni- 
thology which  we  have.     Published  by  Little,  Brown, 
&  Co.,  Boston. 

3.  CHENEY.      Wood  Notes  Wild.     A  book  which 
aims    to    reduce    to    musical  notation  the  songs  of 
some  of  our  common   birds,   the  violin,  it  is  said, 
having  been  the  instrument  employed.     This  work, 
although    not    altogether    satisfactory,    is    the   only 
sustained  attempt  of  the  sort  which  has  been  made, 
and  deserves  attention  as  opening  up  a  new  line  of 
study.     Published  by  Lee  &  Shepard,  Boston. 

4.  COUES.     Birds  of  the    Colorado    Valley.     The 
interest    of    this    book    is    chiefly    its    charmingly 
written    bird    biographies.      It    does    not    confine 
itself  to  the  Colorado  Valley  birds,  but  describes 
more  or  less  fully  all  or  almost  all  the  birds  of  the 
United  States.     The  accounts  are  of  very  unequal 
length,  the   less  familiar  birds  being  naturally  de- 
scribed more  fully.     It   contains   a  valuable  bibli- 
ography,  which    is  brought   down    to    the    date    of 
publication,   1878.     Published  by  the  Government, 
U.    S.  Geol.  and   Geog.  Survey  of  the  Territories, 
Miscellaneous  Publications,  Number  n. 


Preface  vii 

5.  COUES.     Key  to  North  American  Birds.     This 
excellent  work  is  concerned  mainly  with  classifica- 
tion,   although    it    gives    occasional    bits   of    valu- 
able  information  regarding   habits.     In   general   it 
would  be  of  value  only  to  the  student  who  has  the 
bird  in  his  hand.     Published  by  Estes  &  Lauriat, 
Boston. 

6.  FLAGG.      A  Year   with    the  Birds.      A   most 
charming  book,  which    chats  in  a  fascinating  way 
about  many  of  our  common  birds.     It  is,  however, 
rather  a  book  to  stimulate  enthusiasm  than  one  to 
impart  systematic  knowledge.     Published  by  Edu- 
cational Publishing  Company,  Boston. 

7.  Mi  NOT.     Land  and  Game  Birds  of  New  Eng- 
land.    This  book  is,  in  many  ways,  the  one  most  to 
be  recommended  to  beginners.     It  is  simple,  clear, 
arranged  with  the  utmost  system,   and  is   smaller 
and    cheaper    than    any    other   equally  satisfactory 
one.     It  has  been  for  some  time  out  of  print,  but  a 
new  edition  is  announced  by  Houghton  &  Mifflin, 
Boston. 

8.  NEHRLING.      North    American    Birds.      This 
work  is  devoted  mainly,  though  not  exclusively,  to 
the    description    of    bird    life    and    habits,    and   is 
written   in  a  popular   and  fascinating  style.     It  is 


viii  Preface 

illustrated  by  a  large  number  of  colored  plates, 
some  of  which  are  gems  in  the  eyes  both  of  the 
ornithologist  and  of  the  art  lover.  The  work  is  as 
yet  incomplete,  being  in  process  of  publication  by 
Geo.  Brumder  &  Co.,  Milwaukee. 

9.  NUTTALL      AND      CHAMBERLAIN.         Ornithology. 

One  of  the  three  great  ornithologies  of  the  early 
part  of  the  century.  Like  Audubon  and  Wilson, 
Nuttall  deals  more  with  the  natural  history  than 
with  the  structure  of  birds  ;  but,  unlike  them,  he  has 
enjoyed  the  benefit  of  a  modern  editor,  by  whom 
errors  have  been  corrected  and  additions  made,  so 
that  this  work  is  now  among  the  very  best  to  be 
recommended  to  beginners.  Published  by  Little, 
Brown,  &  Co.,  Boston. 

10.  RIDGEWAY.      A   Manual  of  North  American 
Birds.     This    excellent  work   is  purely  systematic, 
and  would  be  valuable  only  to  a  student  who  had 
the  specimen  in  hand.     Published  by  J.  B.  Lippin- 
cott  Co.,  Philadelphia. 

11.  STEARNS  AND   COUES.     New   England  Bird 
Life.     A  most   excellent  manual,  clear,  interesting, 
accurate,    and    not    too    difficult   for  the   beginner. 
It   ranks   with    Minot    and   Nuttall.     Published  by 
Lee  &  Shepard,   Boston. 


Preface  ix 

12.  WILSON  AND  BONAPARTE.  American  Orni- 
thology. One  of  the  three  great  ornithologies  of 
the  early  part  of  the  century.  Like  Audubon's 
Birds,  it  retains  some  now  abandoned  names  and 
arrangements  ;  but,  like  that,  it  is  one  of  the  great 
store-houses  from  which  all  later  writers  must 
draw.  It  has  recently  been  reissued  in  a  single 
large  volume  by  Porter  &  Coates,  Philadelphia. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  STUDY i 

ARTIFICIAL   KEY   TO   THE    COMMON   SPECIES   OF   NEW 

ENGLAND  BIRDS 9 

BRIEF  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  COMMON  BIRDS  — 

TURDID^E  (Thrushes) 39 

SYLVIID^E  (Kinglets) 48 

PARID./E  (Chickadee,  Nuthatches) 51 

CERTHIID^E  (Brown  Creeper) 55 

TROGLODYTID^:  (Wrens,  Thrasher,  Catbird)  ....  57 

MNIOTILTID^E  (Wood-warblers) 65 

VIREONID/E  (Vireos,  or  Greenlets) 83 

LANIID/E  (Shrike) 88 

AMPELID^E  (Cedar  Waxwing) 89 

HIRUNDINID^:  (Swallows) 90 

TANAGRID^  (Scarlet  Tanager) 95 

FRINGILLID^E  (Sparrows  and  Finches) 96 


xii  Contents 

PAGE 

ICTERID.*:  (Blackbirds) 122 

CORVID/E  (Crow  and  Jay) 131 

TYRANNIDAE  (Flycatchers) 134 

TROCHILID^:  (Hummingbird) 141 

MICROPODID/E  (Chimney  Swift) 143 

PICID^E  (Woodpeckers) 145 

ALCEDINID^E  (Kingfishers) 149 

CULICID^E  (Cuckoos) 150 

:  (Sandpipers) 152 


SUGGESTIONS   FOR   STUDY 


THE  many  delightful  bird  books  which  have 
appeared  in  such  striking  numbers  during  the  past 
ten  years,  owe  no  small  part  of  their  charm  to 
the  fact  that  they  take  for  granted  in  their  readers, 
at  least  a  bowing  acquaintance  with  the  little 
creatures  whose  habits  and  characters  they  de- 
scribe. Emancipated  thus  from  bondage  to  the 
details  of  size,  color,  form,  and  structure,  such 
books  are  really  able,  if  one  may  use  the  old- 
fashioned  idiom,  to  "  make  one  acquainted "  with 
the  birds.  This  little  book  assumes  a  humbler 
office,  —  that  of  mere  introduction.  It  addresses 
itself  to  the  would-be  student,  ignorant  of  the 
names  of  even  the  commonest  birds,  but  persever- 
ing enough  to  learn  the  size,  color,  and  markings  of 
any  bird  he  desires  to  name,  providing  him  with  a 
simple  key,  through  which,  by  the  use  of  these 
characteristics,  any  common  bird  may  identified. 
To  this  it  adds  such  suggestions  about  song, 
habits,  and  haunts  as  will  prove  of  use  in  the  field, 


2  Suggestions  for  Study 

and  also  references  to  books  and  papers  which 
may  be  helpful  and  inspiring  in  home  study. 

As  the  book  is  addressed  to  the  amateur  who 
means  to  be  a  real,  albeit  not  a  professional, 
student,  a  few  hints  regarding  methods  of  observa- 
tion may  not  be  out  of  place.  The  first  requisite 
for  this  charming  pastime  is  a  good  opera  glass. 
If  possible,  this  should  be  mounted  in  aluminum, 
as  the  lightness  thus  obtained  is  of  very  great  ad- 
vantage in  prolonged  study.  Moreover,  it  should  be 
covered  with  leather,  or  some  other  non-reflecting 
material ;  for  the  twinkle  of  the  sunlight  on  a  metal- 
lic surface  is  sure  to  attract  the  bird's  attention 
and  cause  alarm.  For  the  same  reason  it  is  desir- 
able to  have  the  lenses  protected  from  the  sunlight 
by  shades. 

Before  going  into  the  field  to  identify,  a  certain 
degree  of  familiarity  with  the  key  is  most  desirable  ; 
for  in  this  work  it  is  pre-eminently  the  first  step 
that  costs.  Let  us  select,  then,  for  our  first 
attempt,  a  bird  so  common  and  so  tame  that  he 
can  be  examined  over  and  over  again  until  all  the 
required  points  shall  have  been  discovered.  For 
such  a  preliminary  trial  we  can  make  no  better 
choice  than  the  English  sparrow,  fitted  as  he  is 
for  the  subject  of  a  practice  lesson  by  his  especial 
abundance  and  tameness  during  the  winter  months. 


Suggestions  for  Study  3 

If  we  can  get  access  to  even  a  very  small  museum 
collection  of  our  native  birds,  or  a  set  of  fairly 
good  colored  pictures  of  them,  preliminary  identifi- 
cation of  some  of  these  will  greatly  simplify  matters. 

Suppose  we  have  had  some  such  preliminary 
practice,  and,  equipped  with  our  glasses,  we  now 
start  out  for  our  first  genuine  bird  hunt.  We  are 
dressed  in  dull  browns  or  greens  which  attract 
little  attention,  and  wear  soft  felt  hats  which  can 
be  pulled  forward  or  pushed  back  as  occasion  may 
demand,  and  into  which  we  can  fasten  leaves,  thus 
transforming  ourselves  into  a  species  of  tree,  and 
disarming  the  suspicions  of  our  new  acquaintances. 
We  shall  not  need  gloves  ;  on  a  day  when  bare 
hands  are  in  the  least  uncomfortable  we  should  not 
find  birds  enough  to  make  a  first  attempt  desirable. 

We  have  chosen  a  sunny  morning  of  late  April ; 
we  shall  not  now  encounter  that  bewildering  num- 
ber and  variety  of  bird  life  which  will  greet  us 
a  month  hence,  or  be  perplexed  by  immature  or 
transitional  plumage,  and,  best  of  all,  the  leaves, 
"no  larger  than  a  chipmunk's  ear,"  cannot  to-day 
afford  that  friendly  shelter  which  will  baffle  us 
so  often  a  few  weeks  hence.  It  is  about  half-past 
seven  ;  a  couple  of  hours  earlier  would  have  been 
better,  but  at  this  season  the  morning  "  office  hours  " 
run  on  well  into  the  forenoon.  And  we  can  come 


4  Suggestions  for  Study 

out  again  a  little  before  sundown  for  a  second 
attempt.  Our  point  of  observation  would,  of 
course,  vary  with  our  precise  object ;  to-day,  as 
affording  the  possibility  of  a  large  variety,  let  us 
select  that  strip  of  meadow-land  which  skirts  the 
lake.  It  is  dotted  with  occasional  trees,  and 
fringed  with  a  row  of  alders  and  willows.  Such  a 
place  attracts  numberless  insects,  and  therefore 
the  birds  which  feed  upon  them.  We  must  work 
around  to  the  east,  that  we  may  have  the  sun  at 
our  backs  ;  the  light  striking  on  our  glasses  would 
blind  our  eyes,  and  the  reflection  would  alarm  our 
friends.  Be  careful  to  walk  quietly ;  our  skirts 
must  not  rustle  over  the  dead  leaves,  and  we  must 
pick  out  soundless  stepping-places.  A  bird's  ears 
are  quick  by  nature  and  by  training.  But  most  of 
all  we  must  beware  of  showing  any  interest  in  the 
tree-tops ;  no  old  moralist  could  be  more  convinced 
than  are  the  birds  that  — 

"  Satan  finds  some  mischief  still 
For  idle  hands  to  do" 

We  may  look  at  them,  if  we  will,  out  of  the  corner 
of  an  eye  ;  but  we  must  contrive  to  impress  them 
with  the  idea  that  we  are  absorbed  in  serious 
personal  business,  which  leaves  no  room  for  atten- 
tion to  the  affairs  of  our  neighbors. 


Suggestions  for  Study  5 

Now  that  we  are  in  a  good  place,  look  around  for 
a  bit  of  cover,  a  stone  wall,  or  a  tree.  Established 
behind  this,  we  wait  until  the  little  excitement  of 
our  transit  has  subsided,  and  our  small  friends  are 
again  entirely  absorbed  in  their  own  affairs.  Now, 
if  a  bird  is  in  sight,  we  are  ready  to  observe  him  ; 
if  not,  we  watch  quietly.  A  bending  twig  or  a 
moving  leaf  will  presently  catch  our  eye,  and  prove 
to  be  the  raising  of  the  curtain.  We  choose  a  bird, 
if  possible,  near  the  ground ;  at  all  events,  one 
which  has  some  other  background  than  the  sky, 
for  any  object  would  look  black  against  that  high 
light ;  and  we  select  one  as  large  and  conspicuously 
colored  as  we  can  see.  For  the  present  we  must 
beware  of  the  sparrows,  which  are  peculiarly  diffi- 
cult to  distinguish,  and  which  should  ordinarily  be 
undertaken  only  after  some  practice.  Now  we 
raise  the  glasses,  avoiding  such  quick  or  jerky 
motions  as  would  be  likely  to  call  back  to  our- 
selves the  attention  which  has  been  turned  away 
from  us,  and  our  study  really  begins. 

Our  bird  being  well  in  view,  we  try  to  answer  as 
many  as  possible  of  these  questions  :  Size  —  larger 
or  smaller  than  a  sparrow  —  than  a  robin  ?  Color? 
Any  conspicuous  bright  colors  ?  If  so,  where  ? 
Are  there  markings  on  the  breast  ?  If  there  are 
no  bright  colors,  are  the  upper  parts  uniform  in 


6  Suggestions  for  Study 

tint,  or  are  they  mottled  ?  Color  of  under  parts? 
Wings  ?  Tail  ?  Are  there  white  wing-bars  ?  If  so, 
are  there  one  or  two  ?  Are  there  white  markings 
on  the  tail  ?  What  are  the  shape  and  color  of  the 
beak  ?  Have  either  wings  or  tail  a  peculiar  shape  ? 

These  points,  numerous  though  they  seem  at 
first,  will  soon  be  noted  almost  unconsciously,  and 
by  means  of  them  one  can  learn  from  the  key  the 
name  of  the  bird,  and  then  can  get  hints  for  further 
study  from  the  brief  notes  in  Part  II. 

That  we  may  be  quite  sure  how  to  use  the  key, 
let  us  trace  out  together  a  single  specimen.  Notice 
yonder  fine  fellow,  nearly  as  large  as  a  robin,  en- 
tirely black  save  for  a  red  yellow-edged  patch  on 
either  shoulder  like  an  epaulet.  We  turn  to  our 
key  to  discover  his  name.  What  colors  are  con- 
spicuous ?  Obviously  both  red  and  black,  and  we 
shall  find  that  it  makes  no  difference  which  of  the 
two  we  select.  Let  us  choose  red.  We  are  directed 
to  go  to  i.  Here  we  are  met  by  two  alternatives  : 
is  the  body  largely  red,  or  is  the  red  present  only 
in  small  patches  ?  We  choose  the  second,  and  are 
directed  to  5.  Here  we  are  met  by  five  alternatives, 
and  choose  the  fourth  :  red  patch  on  the  shoulder. 
This  choice  gives  us  the  name  of  our  bird,  and  re- 
fers us  to  the  fuller  description  to  be  found  in  the 
second  part.  Had  we  selected  black  instead  of  red, 


Suggestions  for  Study  7 

our  task  would  have  been  a  little   longer,  but  the 
result  would  have  been  the  same. 

Our  suggestions  are  only  for  the  first  step  in  this 
study;  when  that  has  once  been  taken,  each  student 
will  best  beat  out  his  own  path  for  himself.  One 
additional  caution  may  be  given  about  tracing  birds 
by  their  song.  So  long  as  a  bird  continues  to  sing 
he  is  unalarmed,  and  you  may  safely  approach  him. 
The  first  sign  of  disquiet  is  his  silence ;  remain 
motionless,  and,  reassured,  he  will  presently  begin 
again,  when  you  may  creep  a  little  nearer.  A 
devious  course  excites  his  suspicions  less  than 
a  direct  one ;  and  any  bit  of  cover,  as  need  hardly 
be  said,  is  of  the  greatest  service. 


ARTIFICIAL    KEY 

To  THE  COMMONER  SPECIES  OF  NEW  ENGLAND  BIRDS 

ANY  one  of  the  following  colors  conspicuous,  either 
as  markings,  or  (save  in  the  case  of  white),  as  forming  a 
large  part  of  the  body  color  : 

Red.     Go  to  1  (below). 

Blue.     Go  to  15  (p.  12). 

Green.     Go  to  26  (p.  14). 

Yellow  or  Orange.     Go  to  29  (p.  15). 

Black  and  White  Mottling.     Go  to  51  (p.  19). 

Black    (except    black   and   white   mottling).     Go   to   61 

(p.  21). 

Brown,  Slate,  Gray,  or  Olivaceous,  either  uniform 
or    mottled,    but    not    associated    with    yellow.       Go    to    84 

(P.  25). 

White,  conspicuous  as  markings,  or  entering  largely  into 
the  color  of  the  upper  parts.     Go  to  157  (p.  37). 

I.     RED 

CONSPICUOUS    EITHER    AS    MARKINGS,    OR    AS    FORMING    A    LARGE 
PART    OF    THE    BODY    COLOR. 

1.    Body,  as    distinct   from  wings   and   tail,  wholly  or  largely 

red.     Go  to  2. 
Red  present  in  comparatively  small  patches.     Go  to  5. 

9 


io  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

2.  Entire    body   of    a   bright    scarlet;    wings    and    tail    black. 

Scarlet      Tanager,     Male     in     Summer     Plumage. 

(P-  950 
Entire    body   of    a  dull    rose-   or    brick-red,  largely  mixed 

with  brown.     Go  to  3. 
Under  parts,  rump,  and  part  of  tail  flame-color,  almost  all 

the  rest  of  the  bird  black.     Baltimore  Oriole,  Male. 

(p.  124.) 

NOTE.  —  The  color  is  really  orange,  but    sometimes  looks 
flame-color  as  the  bird  flies. 

3.  Wing    with    white    bar.       White-winged     Crossbill, 

Male.     (p.  118.) 
Wing  without  white  bar.     Go  to  4. 

4.  Bird  stout;  color  brick-red;  bill  crossed,  i.e.,  upper  mandi- 

ble shutting  against  the  lower  like  a  pair  of  scissors,  and 
projecting  beyond  it.  Bird  usually  found  in  winter  and 
among  cone-bearing  trees.  American  Crossbill, 
Male.  (p.  119.) 

Bird  not  especially  stout;  color  a  rose-red;  bill  of  the  ordi- 
nary pattern;  Bird  ordinarily  not  with  us  in  winter. 
Purple  Finch,  Male.  (p.  120.) 

5.  Red  patch  on  back  of  head.     Go  to  6. 

Red  patch  on.  top  of  head;  bird  olivaceous  above,  lighter 
below.  Very  small.  Go  to  9. 

Red  patch  on  forehead.     Redpoll,  Either  Sex.     Go  to  10. 

Red  patch  on  shoulder;  patch  bordered  behind  with  yel- 
low; rest  of  body  black.  Red-winged  Blackbird, 
Male.  (p.  127.) 


Artificial  Key  II 

Red  patch  on  breast  or  throat,  either  in  the  middle  or  at 
the  sides.     Go  to  11. 

6.  Upper  parts   mottled  black   and  white;    no  white   spot   on 

rump.     Go  to  8. 

Upper  parts  mottled  brown  and   black ;  conspicuous  white 
spot  on  rump.     Flicker,  Either  Sex.     Go  to  7. 

7.  Black    patch    under    each    eye,   extending    backward    from 

beak.     Flicker,  Male.     (p.  145.) 

No  such  black  patches.     Flicker,  Female,     (p.  145.) 

8.  Bird  not  so  large  as  a  sparrow.     Downy  Woodpecker, 

Male.     (p.  146.) 

Bird  nearly  as  large  as  a  robin.     Hairy  Woodpecker, 
Male.     (p.  147.) 

9.  Red  patch  bordered  by  yellow  and  this  by  black.     Golden- 

crowned  Kinglet,  Male.     (p.  49.) 

Red  patch  not    bordered   by  yellow  and  black.       Ruby- 
crowned    Kinglet,  Male.     (p.  48.) 

10.  Breast   rosy   as   well   as   forehead;   rest   of   bird    mottled; 

rump  tinged  with  rose,  which  is  more  or  less  marked, 
according  to  age  and  season.  Rather  smaller  than  a 
sparrow.  Redpoll,  Male.  (p.  117.) 
No  rose,  except  on  forehead  and  sometimes  on  rump,  and 
this  often  inconspicuous;  bird  in  other  respects  like  the 
male  (see  above).  Redpoll,  Female,  (p.  117.) 

11.  Bird  considerably  larger  than  a  sparrow;  breast  with  a  rose 

spot  about  as  large  as  a  half-dollar ;  under  parts  white. 
A  sweet  singer.  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak,  Male. 
(p.  99.) 

Bird  smaller  than  a  sparrow;  no  rose  spot  on  breast.     Go 
to  12. 


12  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

12.  Upper  parts  largely  black.     Go  to  13. 
Upper  parts  not  black.     Go  to  14. 

13.  Throat  and  breast  black.     American  Redstart,  Male. 

(P.  65.) 

Throat  and  breast  flame-color.      Blackburiiian  War- 
bler, Male.     (p.  74.) 

14.  Throat  metallic  red;  upper  parts  green;  under  parts  gray- 

ish.     Ruby-throated   Hummingbird,  Male.     (p. 
141.) 

Throat,  breast,  forehead,  and  rump  more  or  less  rosy;  rest 
of  bird  mottled  brownish.     Redpoll,  Male.     (p.  117.) 

II.     BLUE 

CONSPICUOUS    EITHER    AS    MARKINGS,    OR    AS    FORMING    A    LARGE 
PART    OF    THE    BODY    COLOR. 

15.  Body  of  nearly  uniform  color  above  and  below.     Go  to  16. 
Body  of  different  colors  above  and  below;  blue  restricted 

to  upper  parts.     Go  to  19. 

16.  Body  bronze-black  with  purple  reflections.     Go  to  17. 
Body  a  bright  greenish  blue;  wings  and  tail  brown.     In- 
digo Bunting,  Male.     (p.  97.) 

17.  Bird  distinctly  smaller  than  a  robin;  swrallow-like;  wings 

very  long.     Purple  Martin,  Male.     (p.  93.) 
Bird  about  the  size  of  a  robin,  or  larger;  not  swallow-like; 
wings  moderate.     Purple  Grackle,  Either  Sex.     Go 
to  18. 

18.  Head  and  breast  a  rich  metallic  blue  or  purple.      Purple 

Grackle,  Male.     (p.  122.) 


Artificial  Key  13 

Head  and  breast  showing  very  slight  greenish  reflections. 
Purple  Grackle,  Female,  (p.  122.) 

19.  Under  parts  white  or  grayish.     Go  to  20. 
Under  parts  chestnut.     Go  to  25. 

Throat  and  upper  part  of  breast  yellow,  crossed  by  a 
patch  of  brown;  upper  parts  gray-blue;  yellow  patch 
between  shoulders.  Parula  Warbler,  Either  Sex. 
(P-  79-) 

20.  Birds  considerably  larger  than  a  robin;  crest  conspicuous. 

Go  to  21. 
Birds  not  larger  than  a  robin;  no  crest.     Go  to  23. 

21.  Upper  parts  of  uniform  gray-blue  with  white  collar;  tmder- 

parts  in  the  main  white,  but  with  a  gray- blue  band 
across  the  breast.  Belted  Kingfisher,  Either  Sex. 
Go  to  22. 

Back  grayish  blue;  wings  and  tail  bright  blue,  conspicu- 
ously marked  with  black  and  white;  under  parts  gray; 
upper  part  of  breast  crossed  by  a  black  crescent.  Blue 
Jay,  Either  Sex.  (p.  132.) 

22.  Under  parts  white,  except  for  gray-blue  breast  band;  sides 

under  the  wings  dull  blue.  Belted  Kingfisher, 
Male.  (p.  149.) 

Chestnut  band  across  belly,  in  addition  to  breast  band; 
sides  under  wings  chestnut.  Belted  Kingfisher, 
Female,  (p.  149.) 

23.  Wings  very  long;  bird  swallow-like.     Go  to  24. 

Wings  moderate;  tail  very  short;  under  parts  white;  bird 
addicted  to  running  up  and  down  trunks  of  trees. 
White-breasted  Nuthatch,  Either  Sex.  (p.  54.) 


14  Land  Birds  of  Nezv  England 

Wings  and  tail  moderate;  under  parts  mottled  gray;  upper 
parts  grayish,  showing  more  or  less  blue,  especially  on 
wings  and  tail.  Bluebird,  Young  of  Either  Sex. 
(P-39-) 

24.  Upper  parts  metallic  blue-green;  under  parts  pure  white. 

Tree  Swallow,  Either  Sex.     (p.  91.) 
Upper  parts  grayish   brown,  glossed    on   back    and   head 
with  steel  blue;  under  parts  dark  mottled  gray.       Pur- 
ple Martin,  Female,     (p.  93.) 

25.  Upper    parts    steel-blue;    wings    very    long;    tail    deeply 

notched;  throat  deep  chestnut;  remaining  under  parts 
lighter  chestnut.  Barn  Swallow,  Either  Sex. 
(p.  92.) 

Upper  parts  grayish  blue;  tail  very  short;  wings  moderate; 
throat  gray;  remaining  under  parts  yellowish  chestnut. 
Red-breasted  Nuthatch,  Either  Sex.  (p.  53.) 

Upper  parts  rather  light  blue;  neither  wings  nor  tail  pecu- 
liar; under  parts  of  uniform  reddish  chestnut.  Blue- 
bird, Either  Sex.  (p.  39.) 

III.     GREEN 

CONSPICUOUS     EITHER     AS    MARKINGS,    OR    AS    FORMING    A    LARGE 
PART    OF    THE    BODY    COLOR. 

26.  Bird  at  least  two-thirds  as  large  as  a  sparrow.     Go  to  27. 
Bird  less  than  half  as  large  as  a  soarrow.     Go  to  28. 
Bird  larger  than  a  sparrow;  upper  parts  yellowish  green; 

under  parts  greenish  yellow.  Scarlet  Tanager,  Fe- 
male and  Male  in  Fall  Plumage,  (p.  95.) 

27.  Under  and  upper  parts  both  of  a  bluish  green;  wings  and 

tail  brown.     Indigo  Bunting,  Male.     (p.  97.) 


Artificial  Key  15 

Under  parts  pure  white;  wings  very  long.  Tree  Swal- 
low, (p.  91.) 

28.  Throat    ruby-colored.       Ruby-throated    Humming- 

bird, Male.      (p.  141.) 

Throat  white.  Ruby-throated  Hummingbird,  Fe- 
male, (p.  141.) 

IV.     YELLOW    OR   ORANGE 

CONSPICUOUS    EITHER   AS     MARKINGS,    OR    AS     FORMING    A    LARGE 
PART    OF    THE    BODY    COLOR. 

29.  Rather    large    birds;     distinctly   larger    than    an    English 

sparrow.     Go  to  30. 

Rather  small  birds;  distinctly  smaller  than  an  English 
sparrow.  Go  to  34. 

Bird  about  the  size  of  an  English  sparrow ;  small  yellow 
spot  in  front  of  each  eye.  White-throated  Spar- 
row, (p.  in.) 

30.  Upper  parts  largely  black.     Go  to  31. 

Upper  parts  streaked  with  black,  brown,  and  flaxen,  some- 
what like  a  sparrow's.  Go  to  32. 

Upper  parts  olivaceous  or  brown,  not  distinctly  streaked. 
Go  to  33. 

31.  Under  parts  black;   yellow  present  only  as  the  hind  bor- 

der of  a  red  shoulder  patch.     Red-winged  Black- 
bird, Male.     (p.  127.) 

NOTE.  —  The  red  feathers  are  sometimes  displaced  so  that 
the  shoulder  patch  looks  entirely  yellow. 

Under  parts  mainly  orange.  Baltimore  Oriole,  Male, 
(p.  124.) 


1 6  Land  Birds  of  Neiv  England 

32.  Bird  rather  larger  than  a  robin;   breast  clear  yellow  with 

black  crescent.   Meadow  Lark,  Either  Sex.    (p.  125.) 
Bird  considerably  smaller  than  a  robin ;  breast  dull  yellowish 
brown  without  marks.     Bobolink,  Female,  and  Male 
in  Fall  Plumage.     (  p .  129.) 

33.  Under  parts   yellow  or  orange;    wings  with   much   white. 

Baltimore  Oriole,  Female,     (p.  124.^ 
Under  parts  greenish  yellow;   wings  and  tail  brown  with- 
out white  markings.     Scarlet  Tanager,  Female  and 
Male  in  Fall  Plumage,     (p.  95.) 
Throat  slate,  shading  into  lemon  yellow  on  belly.     Crested 

Flycatcher,  Either  Sex.     (p.  138.) 

Under  parts  brown,  shading  into  yellow  on  belly;  tail 
tipped  with  yellow.  Cedar  Waxwing,  Either  Sex. 
(p.  89.) 

34.  Entire  body,   exclusive  of  wings   and  tail,  yellow,   either 

clear  or  of  a  somewhat  greenish  tinge.     Go  to  35. 
Yellow  forming  a  large  portion  of  the  under  parts.     Go 

to  36. 
Yellow  present  only  in  patches.      Go  to  46, 

35.  Wings    and    tail    black   with    white    markings;   yellow   of 

body  clear  and  brilliant.  Goldfinch,  Male  in  Summer 
Plumage,  (p.  115.) 

Upper  parts,  wings,  and  tail  of  a  somewhat  greenish  yellow 
passing  into  dusky,  and  without  white  markings;  breast 
with  faint  reddish  brown  markings.  Summer  War- 
bler, Either  Sex.  (p.  78.) 

Upper  parts  greenish  yellow;  wings  and  toil  brown;  wing 
with  two  white  bars;  under  parts  clear  yellow.  Pine 
Warbler,  Either  Sex.  (p.  73.) 


Artificial  Key  17 

36.  Throat  and  breast  yellow,  color  clear  or  slightly  clouded. 

Go  to  37. 

Throat    and    breast   yellow,   but    marked    with   brown    or 
black.     Go  to  43. 

37.  Tail  with  white  spots.     Go  to  38. 
Tail  without  white  spots.     Go  to  40. 

38.  Upper    parts    black,    conspicuously    marked    with    white. 

Blackburnian  "Warbler,  Male.     (p.  74.) 
Upper    parts     black-brown,    conspicuously    marked    with 

white.    Blackburnian  Warbler,  Female,    (p.  74.) 
Upper  parts  olivaceous.     Go  to  39. 

39.  Nearly  as   large  as  a  sparrow.     Pine  Warbler,  Either 

Sex.     (p.  73.) 

Only  about   two-thirds   as    large   as  a  sparrow.     Parula 
Warbler,  Female,     (p.  79.) 

40.  Cheeks    and    forehead    black.       Maryland     Yellow- 

throat,  Male.     (p.  66.) 

Cheeks  and   forehead  colored  like  the  rest  of  the   head. 
Go  to  41. 

41.  Wing  with  two  white  bars.     Yellow-throated  Vireo, 

Either  Sex.      (p.  84.) 
Wing  without  white  bars.     Go  to  42. 

42.  Head  ashy;    remaining  upper    parts    olivaceous.     Nash- 

ville Warbler,  Either  Sex.     (p.  80.) 
Head  olivaceous,  of  much  the  same  color  as  back.     Mary- 
land Yellow-throat,  Female,     (p.  66.) 

43.  Breast  bright  yellow  with  black  markings.     Go  to  44. 
Breast   bright    yellow    crossed    by    a   broad   brown    band. 

Parula  Warbler,  Either  Sex.     (p.  79.) 


2O  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

Bird  about  the  size  of  a  sparro'w.  Downy  Wood- 
pecker. Go  to  56. 

55.  Back  of  head  with  red  patch.     Hairy  Woodpecker, 

Male.     (p.  147.) 

Back  of  head  without  red  patch.  Hairy  Woodpecker, 
Female,  (p.  147.) 

56.  Back  of  head  with  red  patch.     Downy  Woodpecker, 

Male.     (p.  146.) 

Back  of  head  without  red  patch.  Downy  Wood- 
pecker, Female,  (p.  146.) 

57.  Upper  parts  mainly  dark,  somewhat   mottled  with   white 

and  flaxen  (which  as  the  bird  flies  often  looks  white); 
breast  with  a  rosy  spot.  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak, 
Male.  (p.  99.) 

Upper  parts  largely  white  intermixed  with  light  brown; 
back  black  mottled  with  white  and  flaxen;  under  parts 
white.  Snowflake,  Male.  (p.  114.) 

58.  Under  parts  black.     Bobolink,  Male.     (p.  129.) 
Under  parts  white,  heavily  streaked  with  blackish  brown. 

Red-winged  Blackbird,  Female,     (p.  127.) 

59.  Both    upper    and    under    parts    mottled.       Black    and 

White   Warbler,  Male.      (p.  81.) 
Upper  parts  mottled;  under  parts  not.     Go  to  60. 
Under  parts   mottled;  upper  parts  not.     Myrtle  War- 
bler, Either  Sex.     (p.  77.) 

60.  Crown   yellow;    under    parts   white    with    chestnut    sides. 

Chestnut-sided  Warbler,  Either   Sex.      (p.  75..) 

Crown    striped    black    and    white;     under    parts    white. 

Black  and  White  Warbler,  Female.       (p.   81.) 


Artificial  Key  21 


VI.     BLACK 

CONSPICUOUS    EITHER    AS    MARKINGS,    OR    AS    FORMING   A   LARGE 
PART   OF    THE    BODY    COLOR. 

N.  B. —  Black  and  white  mottlings  are  not  included  in  this 
group  ;  but  several  birds  are  included,  which,  though  not  really 
black,  are  so  dark  as  to  often  appear  black. 

61.  Black  forming  a  large  part  of  the  body  color.     Go  to  62. 
Black  wings  and  tail.     Go  to  77. 

Black  present  as  conspicuous  markings.     Go  to  78. 

62.  Entire  body,  or  nearly  the  entire  body,  black.     Go  to  63. 
Under    parts    black;    upper    parts   black,  buff,   gray,   and 

white.     Bobolink,  Male.     (p.  129.) 

Upper  parts,  breast,  and  throat  black  with  salmon  mark- 
ings. American  Redstart,  Male.  (p.  65.) 

Black  restricted  largely  or  wholly  to  upper  parts.  Go 
to  70. 

63.  Bird  swallow-like.     Go  to  64. 
Bird  not  swallow-like.     Go  to  66. 

64.  Tail  very  short,  so  that  the  bird  almost  appears  to  have 

none;   color  really  a  dark  brown.     Chimney  Swift, 
Either  Sex.     (p.  143.) 

Tail  of  ordinary  length.  Purple  Martin,  Either  Sex. 
Go  to  65. 

65.  Color  an  intense  purple-black.     Purple  Martin,  Male. 

(P.  93-) 

Color  a  sooty  brown,  lighter  below.  Purple  Martin, 
Female,  (p.  93.) 


22  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

66.  Bird  not  much,  if  any,  larger  than  a  robin.     Go  to  67. 
Bird   at    lease    twice   as    large   as   a  robin.      American 

Crow,  Either   Sex.     (p.   131.) 

67.  Bird  with  a  red  or  yellow  patch  on  the  shoulder.     Red- 

winged  Blackbird,  Male.     (p.  127.) 

NOTE. —  The  patch  consists  of  both  red  and  yellow  feath- 
ers ;  but  the  red  ones  are  sometimes  disarranged,  so  that  th& 
yellow  ones  only  show. 

Bird  without  such  a  patch.      Go  to  68. 

68.  Bird  distinctly  smaller  than  a  robin;  head  brown.      Cov/- 

bird,  Male.     (p.  128.) 
Bird  distinctly  larger  than  a  robin;  head  and  breast  of  a 

deep  purple.     Purple  Grackle,  Male.     (p.  122, ) 
Bird  about  the  size  of  a  robin.     Go  to  69. 

69.  Black   quite    rusty.      Rusty    Blackbird,  Either   Sex. 

(p.  123.) 
Black  not  rusty.     Purple  Grackle,  Female,    (p.  122.) 

70.  Under  parts  largely  or  wholly  white.     Go  to  71. 

Under  parts  chestnut,  darker  on  throat;  bird  swallow-like. 
Barn  Swallow,  Either  Sex.  (p.  92.) 

Throat  and  forebreast  flame-color  or  orange,  passing  be- 
hind into  white,  which  is  marked  with  black.  Black- 
buriiiaii  Warbler,  Male.  (p.  74.) 

Under  parts  yellow",  heavily  marked  with  black.  Mag- 
nolia Warbler,  Either  Sex.  (p.  76.) 

Under  parts  with  a  considerable  amount  of  solid  black. 
Go  to  75. 

71.  Rump  white.     Go  to  72. 
Rump  not  white.     Go  to  73. 


Artificial  Key  23 

72.  Head  black;    breast  with   rose    spot.       Rose-breasted 

Grosbeak,  Male.     (p.  99.) 

Head  white,  more  or  less  suffused  with  light  brown; 
under  parts  pure  white,  or  at  most  tinged  with  brown. 
Siiowflake,  Male.  (p.  114.) 

73.  Wings  very  long;  bird  swallow-like.     Go  to  74. 

Wings  of  moderate  length;  bird  not  swallow-like;  up- 
per parts  a  blackish  brown.  Kingbird,  Either  Sex. 
(P-  I39-) 

74.  Under  parts  entirely  white;  upper  parts  really  a  dark  blue- 

green.     Tree  Swallow,  Either  Sex.     (p.  91.) 
Under  parts  white,   save  that   the   breast  is   crossed  by  a 
dark   brown   band;    upper    parts  really  a  sooty  brown. 
Bank    Swallow,    Either   Sex.     (p.  90.) 

75.  Bird    distinctly    smaller    than    a   sparrow.       American 

Redstart,  Male.     (p.  65.) 
Bird  distinctly  larger  than  a  sparrow.     Go  to  76. 

76.  Throat    black;    remaining    under    parts    orange.       Balti- 

more  Oriole,  Male.     (p.  124.) 

Throat  and  forebreast  black;  remaining  under  parts  white 
in  the  middle  and  chestnut  at  the  sides.  Townee, 
Male.  (p.  100.) 

77.  Body  red.     Scarlet  Tanager,  Male  in  Summer  Plu- 

mage,    (p.  95.) 
Body  yellow.     Goldfinch,  Male  in  Summer  Plumage. 

(p.  115.) 
Body  gray;   wings  really  a  blackish   brown.     Northern 

Shrike,  Either  Sex.     (p.  88.) 


24  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

78.  Birds  nearly  or  quite  as  large  as  a  robin;  black  present  as 

a  crescent  on  the  breast.     Go  to  79. 

Bird  about  the  size  of  an  English  sparrow;  head  with  lon- 
gitudinal stripes  of  black  and  white;  back  sparrow-like. 
White-throated  Sparrow,  Male.  (p.  in.) 

Birds  distinctly  smaller  than  a  sparrow.     Go  to  80. 

79.  Throat  and  breast  a  light  lemon-yellow.     Meadowlark, 

Either  Sex.     (p.  125.) 
Throat  and  forebreast  a  lilac-brown.       Flicker,   Either 

Sex.     Go  to  7. 
Throat    and    breast    gray.       Blue     Jay,    Either     Sex. 

(P-  132.) 

80.  Top  of  head  or  forehead  black.     Go  to  81. 
Top  of  head  not  black.     Go  to  83. 

81.  Throat  black.     Chickadee,  Either  Sex.     (p.  51.) 
Throat  not  black.     Go  to  82. 

82.  Under  parts  yellow.    Maryland  Yellow-throat,  Male. 

(p.  66.) 
Under    parts    white.       White-breasted     Nuthatch, 

Either   Sex.       (p.  54.) 
Under  parts  rusty  brown.     Red-breasted  Nuthatch, 

Either  Sex.     (p.  53.) 

83.  Under  parts  yellow,  marked  with  black.     Go  to  44. 
Under  parts  white,  marked  with  black;  upper  parts  slate- 
blue  mottled  with  black.     Myrtle  Warbler,  Either 
Sex.     (p.  77.) 

Throat  and  forebreast  black;  cheeks  yellow.  Black- 
throated  Green  Warbler,  Either  Sex.  (p.  71.) 


Artificial  Key  25 


VII.     BROWN,  SLATE,  GRAY,  OR  OLIVACEOUS 

CONSPICUOUS,  EITHER  UNIFORM    IN    TINT    OR    MOTTLED,  BUT   NOT 
ASSOCIATED    WITH    YELLOW. 

84.  Upper  parts  slate,  gray,  brown  or  olivaceous,  either  plain 

or  mottled.     Go  to  85. 

Under   parts,   at   least   throat   and  forebreast,   or  sides  of 
belly,  solid  brown.     Go  to  153. 

85.  Under  parts,  at  least  breast  and  throat,  of  nearly  the  same 

shade  as  the  back.     Go  to  86. 

Under  parts  not  of  the  same  color  as  the  back,  or  at  least 
distinctly  lighter  in  shade.     Go  to  99. 

86.  Bird  swallow-like.     Go  to  87. 
Bird  not  swallow-like.     Go  to  88. 

87.  Tail  so  short  that  the  bird  almost  appears  to  have  none. 

Chimney  Swift,  Either  Sex.     (p.  143.) 
Tail    not  remarkably  short.     Purple    Martin,  Female. 

(P-  930 

88.  Bird  distinctly  smaller  than  a  sparrow.     Go  to  89. 
Bird  not  distinctly  smaller  than  a  sparrow.     Go  to  93. 

89.  Birds  brown,  somewhat  mottled;   have  the  habit  of  carry- 

ing the  tail  cocked.     Very  small.     Go  to  90. 
Birds  olivaceous;    do  not  carry  the  tail  cocked.     Go  to  91. 

90.  Tail    very   short;    feet    if    stretched    out    backward  would 

reach  some  distance  beyond  it;   bird  considerably  smaller 
than  house  wren.     Winter  Wren,  Either  Sex.     (p. 

59.) 


26  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

Tail  not  very  short;  feet  if  stretched  out  backward  would 
reach  about  to  its  tip.  House  Wren,  Either  Sex. 

(P.  60.) 

91.  Crown   with   yellow  or    scarlet    patch.      Bird  very    small. 

Go  to  92. 

Crown  without  such  a  patch.  Bird  nearly  as  large  as  a 
sparrow.  Pine  Warbler,  Female,  (p.  73.) 

92.  Crown  patch  scarlet.     Ruby-crowned  Kinglet,  Male. 

(P.  48.) 

Crown  patch  flame-colored  bordered  with  yellow.  Gol- 
den-crowned Kinglet,  Male.  (p.  49.) 

Crown  patch  yellow.  Golden-crowned  Kinglet, 
Female,  (p.  49.) 

93.  Bird  obscurely  mottled.     Go  to  94. 
Bird  not  mottled.     Go  to  96. 

94.  Wing   with    two  white  bars;    rump  yellowish.     White- 

winged  Crossbill,  Female,     (p.  118.) 
Wing  without  white  bars.     Go  to  95. 

95.  Beak  with  mandibles  crossing  one  another   like  the  blades 

of  a  pair  of  scissors;  rump  yellowish  green.      American 
Crossbill,  Female,     (p.  119.) 

Beak  of  the  ordinary  pattern;  rump  not  of  contrasting 
color.  Cowbird,  Female,  (p.  128.) 

96.  Bird  of  a  blackish  slate  color.     Go  to  97. 
Bird  largely  brown.     Go  to  98. 

97.  No  white   on  the    body;    beak  black.     Catbird,  Either 

Sex.     (p.  63.) 

Belly  and  outer  tail  feathers  white;  beak  light.  Slate- 
colored  Junco,  Either  Sex.  (p.  105.) 


Artificial  Key  27 

98.  Upper   parts   brown,  passing    into    slate    on    the    rump; 

under  parts  brown,  passing  into  yellow  on  the  belly; 
tail  tipped  with  yellow.  Cedar  Waxwiiig,  Either 
Sex.  (p.  89.) 

Upper  parts  of  uniform  brown;  throat  and  forebreast  of 
the  same  shade;  remaining  under  parts  white  in  the 
middle  and  chestnut  on  the  sides;  tail  with  white 
blotches.  Towhee,  Female,  (p.  100.) 

99.  Under  parts  in  the  main  solidly  colored  with  some  shade 

of  brown.     Go  to  100. 
Under  parts  in  the  main  white  or  gray,  either  clear  or 

tinged  with  browrnish  or  yellowish;  often  spotted.     Go 

to  101. 
Throat  and   forebreast  ash,  passing  into  yellow  on  belly. 

Crested  Flycatcher,     (p.  138.) 

100.  Breast  chestnut,  unspotted:   throat  black  and  white;   tips 

of   outer   tail    feathers   white.      American   Robin, 

Either  Sex.     (p.  41.) 
Breast   chestnut,    spotted   with   blackish.       American 

Robin,  Young  of  Either  Sex.     (p.  41.) 
Breast  yellowish  brown,  unmarked.     Bobolink,  Female 

and  Male  in  Fall  Plumage,     (p.  129.) 
Breast  reddish  brown,  passing  into  white  on  belly,  marked 

with  round  black  spots  and  crossed  by  a  black  crescent. 

Flicker,  Either  Sex.     Go  to  7. 

101.  Throat  black;    remaining  under  parts  gray.     Go  to  102. 
Under  parts  unspotted,  of    nearly  uniform  tint.     Go  to 

103. 

Under  parts  white,  unspotted;  breast  crossed  by  a  band 
of  contrasting  color.  Go  to  131. 


28  Land  Biras  of  New  England 

Under  parts  gray,  obscurely  mottled.     Go  to  132. 
Under   parts  distinctly  spotted  with  brown  or  blackish. 
Go  to  139. 

102.  Top    of    head   black.     Chickadee,   Either    Sex.     (p. 

Si.) 

Top   of   head   gray.     English    Sparrow,   Male.     (p. 
96.) 

NOTE. —  In  the  young  the  black  spot  is  often  somewhat 
obscured  with  gray. 

103.  Under   parts   rather    faintly  tinged  with  rose;   cap  car- 

mine.    Redpoll,  Male.     (p.  117.) 
Under  parts  without  any  rosy  tint;   no  carmine  cap.     Go 
to  104. 

104.  Legs   and   beak  very  long  and  slender;   bird   fitted  for 

wading.     Solitary    Sandpiper,   Either  Sex.      (p. 

153.) 

Legs  and  beak  not  very  long  and  slender.     Go  to  105. 

105.  Bird  distinctly  larger  than  a  sparrow.     Go  to  106. 
Bird  as  small  or  smaller  than  a  sparrow.     Go  to  109. 

106.  Upper  parts  black-brown;    tail  with  white  tip.     King- 

bird, Either  Sex.     (p.  139.) 
Upper    parts    mottled    with    brown,    black,    and    flaxen, 

somewhat    like  a  sparrow's.      Siiowflake,  Female. 

(p.  114.) 
Upper  parts  clear  gray  or  brownish  gray;   wings  and  tail 

black-brown.     Northern  Shrike,  Either  Sex.     (p. 

88.) 
Upper  parts  olivaceous.     Go  to  107. 

107.  Under  parts  white;   tail  very  long.     Go  to  108. 


Artificial  Key  29 

Under  parts  greenish  yellow ;  tail  of  moderate  length. 
Scarlet  Tanager,  Female  and  Male  in  FaU  Plu- 
mage, (p.  95.) 

108.  Large  white  spots  on  outer  tail  feathers,  the  largest  ones 

nearly  an  inch  long;   beak  largely  yellow.     Yellow- 
billed  Cuckoo,  Either  Sex.     (p.  151.) 
Small  white   spots  on  tail  about  one-fourth   of  an  inch 
long;    beak  almost    entirely   black.       Black-billed 
Cuckoo,  Either  Sex.     (p.  150.) 

109.  Birds  in  the  habit  of  carrying  the  tail  cocked;   very  small. 

Go  to  110. 

Birds  not  in  the  habit  of  carrying  the  tail  cocked ;  not 
very  small.  Go  to  112. 

110.  Back  with   a  patch   of   mottled  black  and  white;   birds 

usually  found   in  swampy  places.     Marsh  Wrens. 
Go  to  111. 

Back  without  a  patch  of  mottled  black  and  white;  bird 
not  found  especially  in  wet  places.  Go  to  90. 

111.  Bill  half  an  inch  long  or  more.     Long-billed  Marsh 

Wren,  Either  Sex.     (p.  57.) 

Bill  from  one-third  to  two-fifths  of  an  inch  long.  Short- 
billed  Marsh  Wren.  (p.  58.) 

112.  Back  mottled.     Go  to  113. 
Back  not  mottled.     Go  to  118. 

113.  Back    and   breast    yellowish    gray;   two   white   bars   on 

wing;     white    spots    on    outer    tail    feathers.       Pine 
Warbler,  Female,     (p.  73.) 

Back  mottled  in  shades  of  bay,  brown,  and  black.  Go 
to  114. 


3O  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

114.  Bill  long  and  slender ;  bird  creeps  up   tree  trunks  and 

branches.     Brown  Creeper,  Either  Sex.     (p.  55.) 
Bill  short  and  stout;    bird  does  not  creep.     Go  to  115. 

115.  White  spot  on  throat,  sharply  marked  off  from  general 

gray  of  breast;    head   with  black   and  white  stripes; 
small    patch    of    yellow    in    front    of    eye.     "White- 
throated  Sparrow,  Either  Sex.     (p.  in.) 
No  such  white  spot.     Go  to  116. 

116.  Top  of  head  chestnut.     Go  to  117. 

Top  of  head  gray.  English  Sparrow,  Female,  (p. 
96.) 

117.  Gray  of  breast  clear  ;  bill  black.     Chipping  Sparrow, 

Either  Sex.     (p.  108.) 

Gray  of  breast  somewhat  rusty;  bill  flesh-colored:  gen- 
eral tone  of  color  a  little  lighter  than  the  preceding. 
Field  Sparrow,  Either  Sex.  (p.  107.) 

Gray  of  breast  ashy,  that  of  sides  of  belly  rusty;  bill 
black  above,  yellow  below;  breast  with  an  indistinct 
brownish  spot;  wing  with  two  white  bars.  Tree 
Sparrow,  Either  Sex.  (p.  no.) 

118.  Top  of  head  black.     Go  to  119. 
Top  of  head  not  black.     Go  to  121. 

119.  Throat  black.     Chickadee,  Either  Sex.     (p.  51.) 
Throat  gray.     Go  to  120. 

120.  Under  parts  uniform  gray.       White-breasted   Nut- 

hatch,  Either  Sex.     (p.  54.) 

Under  parts  rusty.  Red-breasted  Nuthatch,  Either 
Sex.  (p.  53.) 

121.  Crown  brightly  colored.     Go  to  92. 


Artificial  Key  31 

Crown  not  different  in  color  from  the  rest  of  the  head. 
Go  to  122. 

122.  White  wing-bars  present.     Go  to  123. 
White  wing-bars  not  present.     Go  to  128. 

123.  Tail  with  white  blotches.     Go  to  124. 
Tail  without  white  blotches.     Go  to  125. 

124.  Wings    and    tail    nearly  or    quite   black;    beak    conical. 

Goldfinch,  Female  or  Male  in  Winter  Plumage, 
(p.  115.) 

Wings  and  tail  brown;  beak  long  and  slender.  Pine 
Warbler,  Female,  (p.  73.) 

125.  Bird  very  small;    from  top  of  head  to  tip  of  tail  about 

four  inches.     Go  to  126. 

Bird  not  extraordinarily  small;  from  top  of  head  to  tip 
of  tail  about  five  inches.  Go  to  127. 

126.  Head  and   shoulders  very  large,  so   that  the  bird  looks 

like  a  pygmy.     Bird  with  us  in  summer.     Least  Fly- 
catcher, Either  Sex.     (p.  134.) 

Head  and  shoulders  not  especially  large.  Bird  with  us 
in  spring  and  fall  only.  Ruby-crowned  Kinglet, 
Female,  (p.  48.) 

127.  Head  bluish  gray;    throat  white;   sides  of  belly  yellow. 

Blue-headed  Vireo,  Either  Sex.     (p.  83.) 
Head  brown;    throat   gray;     sides   yellowish   gray;    bird 

about    six    inches    long    from    crown    to    tip    of    tail. 

Wood  Pewee,  Either  Sex.     (p.  135.) 
Head  brown  or  blackish;    throat  gray;    sides  brownish; 

bird  about  six  inches  and  a  half  from  crown  to  tip  of 

tail.     Phoebe,  Either  Sex.     (p.  136.) 


32  Land  Birds  of  Nezv  England 

128.  Upper  parts  greenish  gray;   under  parts  very  light,  almost 

white;    eye  with  light  line  above  it.     Go  to  129. 
Upper  parts  brown;    under  parts  brownish  gray;    no  line 
above  eye.     Go  to  130. 

129.  Light  line  extending  back  a  considerable  distance  beyond 

the  eye;  sides  of  belly  grayish  white.  Red-eyed 
Vireo,  Either  Sex.  (p.  87.) 

Light  line  stopping  directly  above  the  eye;  sides  of 
belly  yellowish  gray.  Warbling  Vireo,  Either  Sex. 

(p-  85.) 

130.  Bird  about  the  size  of  an  English  sparrow;   beak  broad, 

black.     Phoebe,  Either  Sex.     (p.  136.) 
Bird  considerably  smaller  than  an  English  sparrow,  beak 
conical,  darker  above,  lighter  below ;  bird   obscurely 
mottled.     Indigo  Bunting,  Female,     (p.  97.) 

131.  Bird  larger  than  a  robin;    upper   parts  and  breast-band 

g'ay-blue.  Belted  Kingfisher,  Either  Sex.  Go 
to  22. 

Bird  smaller  than  a  sparrow;  swallow-like;  upper  parts 
and  breast-band  sooty  brown.  Bank  Swallow, 
Either  Sex.  (p.  90.) 

132.  Wings  and  tail   almost  or  quite  black;    tail  with  white 

blotches;  body  either  a  clear  gray  (male)  or  a  brown- 
ish gray  (female).  Northern  Shrike,  Either  Sex. 
(p.  88.) 

Wings  and  tail  not  strongly  contrasting  in  color  with  the 
upper  parts.  Go  to  133. 

133.  Birds  in  the  habit   of    carrying  the   tail    cocked.     Very 

small.     Go  to  90, 


Artificial  Key  33 

Birds  not  in  the  habit  of  carrying  the  tail  cocked.'  Not 
very  small.  Go  to  134. 

134.  Bird    swallow-like.      Purple    Martin,   Female.       (p. 

93.) 

Bird  with  legs  bare  above  the  first  joint,  and  fitted  for 
wading.  Solitary  Sandpiper,  Either  Sex.  (p. 

_iS3-) 

Bird  not  like  either  of  the  above.     Go  to    35. 

135.  Wing  with  white  bars.     Pine  Warbler,  Female,     (p. 

73-) 
Wing  without  white  markings.     Go  to  136. 

136.  Bill  with  upper  and   lower  mandibles  crossing  like  the 

blades  of  a  pair  of  scissors.  Birds  seen  in  southern 
New  England  only  in  winter.  American  Cross- 
bill, Female,  (p.  119.) 

Bill  of  the  ordinary  pattern.  Birds  seen  in  New  England 
only  in  the  warmer  months.  Go  to  137. 

137.  Bird  distinctly  larger  than  a  sparrow.     Cowbird,  Fe- 

male,    (p.   128.) 

Bird  considerably  smaller  than  a  sparrow.  Indigo 
Bunting,  Female,  (p.  97.) 

Bird  much  of  the  size  and  general  coloration  of  a  spar- 
row. Go  to  138. 

138.  Throat  with  white  spot  sharply  marked  off  from  general 

gray  of  breast.  White-throated  Sparrow,  Either 
Sex.  (p.  in.) 

Throat  without  such  a  white  spot.  Swamp  Sparrow, 
Either  Sex.  (p.  102.) 

139.  Back  not  mottled.     Go  to  140. 


32  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

128.  Upper  parts  greenish  gray;   under  parts  very  light,  almost 

white;    eye  with  light  line  above  it.     Go  to  129. 
Upper  parts  brown;   under  parts  brownish  gray;    no  line 
above  eye.     Go  to  130. 

129.  Light  line  extending  back  a  considerable  distance  beyond 

the  eye;  sides  of  belly  grayish  white.  Red-eyed 
Vireo,  Either  Sex.  (p.  87.) 

Light  line  stopping  directly  above  the  eye;  sides  of 
belly  yellowish  gray.  Warbling  Vireo,  Either  Sex. 

(P.  85.) 

130.  Bird  about  the  size  of  an  English  sparrow;   beak  broad, 

black.     Phoebe,  Either  Sex.     (p.  136.) 
Bird  considerably  smaller  than  an  English  sparrow,  beak 
conical,  darker  above,  lighter  below ;  bird   obscurely 
mottled.     Indigo  Bunting,  Female,     (p.  97.) 

131.  Bird  larger  than  a  robin;   upper   parts  and  breast-band 

gray-blue.  Belted  Kingfisher,  Either  Sex.  Go 
to  22. 

Bird  smaller  than  a  sparrow;  swallow-like;  upper  parts 
and  breast-band  sooty  brown.  Bank  Swallow, 
Either  Sex.  (p.  90.) 

132.  Wings  and  tail   almost  or  quite  black;    tail  with  white 

blotches;  body  either  a  clear  gray  (male)  or  a  brown- 
ish gray  (female).  Northern  Shrike,  Either  Sex. 
(p.  88.) 

Wings  and  tail  not  strongly  contrasting  in  color  with  the 
upper  parts.  Go  to  133. 

133.  Birds  in  the  habit   of    carrying  the   tail    cocked.     Very 

small.     Go  to  90, 


Artificial  Key  33 

Birds  not  in  the  habit  of  carrying  the  tail  cocked."  Not 
very  small.  Go  to  134. 

134.  Bird   swallow-like.      Purple    Martin,   Female.      (p. 

930 

Bird  with  legs  bare  above  the  first  joint,  and  fitted  for 
wading.  Solitary  Sandpiper,  Either  Sex.  (p. 

153.) 

Bird  not  like  either  of  the  above.     Go  to    35. 

135.  Wing  with  white  bars.     Pine  Warbler,  Female,     (p. 

73.) 

Wing  without  white  markings.     Go  to  136. 

136.  Bill  with  upper  and   lower  mandibles  crossing  like  the 

blades  of  a  pair  of  scissors.  Birds  seen  in  southern 
New  England  only  in  winter.  American  Cross- 
bill, Female,  (p.  119.) 

Bill  of  the  ordinary  pattern.  Birds  seen  in  New  England 
only  in  the  warmer  months.  Go  to  137. 

137.  Bird  distinctly  larger  than  a  sparrow.     Cowbird,  Fe- 

male,    (p.   128.) 

Bird  considerably  smaller  than  a  sparrow.  Indigo 
Bunting,  Female,  (p.  97.) 

Bird  much  of  the  size  and  general  coloration  of  a  spar- 
row. Go  to  138. 

138.  Throat  with  white  spot  sharply  marked  off  from  general 

gray  of  breast.  White-throated  Sparrow,  Either 
Sex.  (p.  in.) 

Throat  without  such  a  white  spot.  Swamp  Sparrow, 
Either  Sex.  (p.  102.) 

139.  Back  not  mottled.     Go  to  140. 


34  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

Back  mottled  with  shades  of  gray,  brown,  or  blackish. 
Go  to  146. 

140.  Wing  with  two  white  bars;   brown  of  a  bright  reddish 

cast;    tail  very  long;    bird  rather  larger  than  a  robin. 
Brown  Thrasher,  Either  Sex.     (p.  62.) 
Wing  without  white  bars;   brown  not  of  a  bright  reddish 
cast;    tail  of  moderate  length;    bird  distinctly  smaller 
than  a  robin.     Go  to  141. 

141.  Bird  about  as  large  as  a  sparrow  or  larger.     Go  to  142. 
Bird  distinctly  smaller  than  a  sparrow.     Water  Thrush, 

Either  Sex.     (p.  67.) 

142.  Upper  parts  olive-green ;  crown  with  orange-brown  spot. 

Oven  Bird,  Either  Sex.     (p.  68.) 

Upper  parts  of  some  shade  of  brown;  j,o  crown  patch. 
Go  to  143. 

143.  Upper  parts  of  uniform  tint;  spots  of  breast  rather  small 

and  somewhat   ill-defined.     Go  to  144. 
Back   not   of    uniform   tint;    head    and    tail    of    differing 
shades;  spots  of  breast  large  and  sharply  defined.     Go 
to  145. 

144.  Upper  parts  of  a  somewhat  reddish  brown;  throat  with 

a  tinge   of  buff.       Wilson's    Thrush,   Either   Sex. 

(p.  450 

Upper  parts  dark  brown  without  any  reddish  tinge; 
throat  and  breast  somewhat  yellowish.  Olive- 
backed  Thrush,  Either  Sex.  (p.  44.) 

145.  Head    and   back   tawny  brown,    shading    into    olive    on 

rump;  white  of  under  parts  pure.     Wood  Thrush, 
Either  Sex.      (p.  46.) 


Artificial  Key  35 

Head  and  back  olive-brown,  becoming  tawny  on  .the 
tail;  breast  often  yellowish  white.  Hermit  Thrush, 
Either  Sex.  (p.  43.) 

146.  Beak  slender  and  an  inch  or  more  long;   legs  bare  for 

some  distance  above  the  first  joint.     Spotted  Sand- 
piper, Either  Sex.     (p.  152.) 

Beak  not  more  than  half  an  inch  long;  legs  not  bare 
above  the  first  joint.  Go  to  147. 

147.  White  markings  somewhat  conspicuous  on  head,  wings, 

throat,  or  tail.     Go  to  148. 
No  white  marking.     Go  to  149. 

148.  Head  with  three  longitudinal  white  stripes;  wings  spotted 

with  white.      Rose-breasted  Grosbeak,  Female. 
(p.  99.) 

Outer  tail -feathers  largely  white,  showing  when  the  bird 
flies;  no  white  wing-bars.  Vesper  Sparrow,  Either 
Sex.  (p.  113.) 

149.  Under  parts  very  light;  spots  dark  and  sharply  marked. 

Go  to  150. 

Under  parts  grayish;  spots  not  very  dark,  and  gradually 
shading  into  the  general  breast-color,  so  that  they  are 
less  conspicuous  than  in  the  first  group.  Go  to  152. 

150.  Brown  of  a  dull,  somewhat  grayish,  tinge.     Go  to  151. 
Brown  of    a    warm    reddish    tinge.       Fox    Sparrow, 

Either  Sex.     (p.  101.) 

Brown  of  a  very  dark  shade,  almost  black;  bird  consid- 
erably larger  than  a  sparrow.  Red-winged  Black- 
bird, Female,  (p.  127.) 


36  Land  Birds  of  Ne^cv  England 

151.  Centre  of  the  breast  with  a  dark  spot  considerably  larger 

than  the  others;  no  yellowish  suffusion  about  the  head. 
Song  Sparrow,  Either  Sex.     (p.  104.) 
Breast  without  any  especially  large  dark  spot;  slight  yel 
lowish  suffusion  in  front  of  eyes.     Savanna  Spar- 
row, Either  Sex.     (p.  112.) 

152.  Middle  of  breast  without  streaks;  forehead  with  obscure 

reddish  patch;  bird  distinctly  smaller  than  a  sparrow. 
Redpoll,  Female,     (p.  117.) 

Entire  breast  streaky;  no  reddish  head  patch;  bird  about 
the  size  of  a  sparrow.  Purple  Finch,  Female. 

(p.    120.) 

153.  Upper  parts  black;    sides  of   breast  and  belly  chestnut. 

Towhee,  Male.     (p.  100.) 
Upper   parts  blue;   under   parts   entirely  chestnut.      Go 

to  154. 
Upper  parts  brown;  under  parts  either  wholly  or  partly 

brown.     Go  to  155. 

154.  Blue  very  dark,  almost  black;  bird  swallow-like.     Barn 

Swallow,  Either  Sex.     (p.  92.) 

Blue  not  very  dark;  bird  not  swallow-like.  Bluebird, 
Either  Sex.  (p.  39.) 

155.  Upper  parts  dull  brown;  under  parts  chestnut.     Ameri- 

can Robin,  Either  Sex.     (p.  41.) 

Upper  and  under  parts  of  almost  the  same  color  through- 
out —  a  dull,  sooty  brown.  Chimney  Swift,  Either 
Sex.  (p.  143.) 

Throat  and  breast  of  the  same  color  as  the  upper  parts. 

-   Go  to  156. 


Artificial  Key  37 

156.  Upper   parts,  throat,  and   forebreast   of   a   dull    brown; 

sides    of    belly    chestnut;    tail    with    white    blotches. 
Towhee,  Female,      (p.  100.) 

Head  and  back  clear  brown,  passing  into  slate  on  rump; 
head  and  throat  of  the  same  color,  passing  into  yellow- 
ish on  belly;  tail  edged  with  yellow,  but  without  white 
blotches.  Cedar  Waxwing,  Either  Sex.  (p.  89.) 

VIII.     WHITE 

FORMING    CONSPICUOUS    MARKINGS,  OR  ENTERING    LARGELY  INTO 
THE    COLOR    OF    THE    UPPER    PARTS. 

157.  Collar  white.     Go  to  158. 
Rump  white.     Go  to  159. 

Tail  showing  white  feathers  in  flight.     Go  to  161. 
Tail  with  white  edge.    Kingbird,  Either  Sex.    (p.  139.) 
Throat  white.      White-throated    Sparrow,   Either 
Sex.       (p.  in.) 

158.  Bird  larger  than  a  robin;  upper  parts  slate-blue;  under 

parts  white.     Belted  Kingfisher,  Either  Sex.     Go 
to  22. 

Bird  smaller  than  a  robin;  almost  entirely  black.  Bob- 
olink, Male.  (p.  129.) 

NOTE.  —  The  collar  is  really  buff,  but  often  looks  white 
as  the  bird  flies. 

159.  Bird  larger  than  a  robin.     Flicker,  Either  Sex.    Go  to  7. 
Bird  smaller  than  a  robin.     Go  to  160. 

160.  Bird  mostly  black.     Bobolink,  Male.     (p.  129.) 

Bird  mostly  a  dull  gray.     White- winged  Crossbill, 
Female,     (p.  118.) 
NOTE. —  The  rump  is  really  yellowish,  but  often  looks  white. 


38  Land  Birds  of  Nciv  England 

Bird  largely  white,  with  a  good  deal  of  black  on  back, 
wings,  and  tail;  both  the  black  and  the  white  of  the 
upper  parts  is  more  or  less  overcast  with  brown. 
Snowflake,  Either  Sex.  (p.  114.) 

161.  Bird  about  the  size  of  an  English  sparrow.     Go  to  162. 
Bird  considerably  larger  than  an  English  sparrow.     Go 

to  163. 

Bird  considerably  smaller  than  an  English  sparrow. 
Numerous  warblers. 

162.  General    coloring    sparrow-like.       Vesper    Sparrow. 
General  color  slate.     Black  Snowbird,     (p.  105.) 

163.  Under  parts  chestnut.     American  Robin,  Either  Sex. 

(p.  41.) 

Throat  and  forebreast  black;  sides  chestnut.  Towhee, 
Male.  (p.  100. ) 

Throat  and  forebreast  dull  brown;  sides  chestnut.  Tow- 
hee, Female,  (p.  100.) 

Under  parts  white.     Go  to  164. 

164.  Wings  with  white  markings.     Snowflake,  Either  Sex. 

(p.  114.) 
Wings  without  white  markings.     Go  to  108. 


LAND    BIRDS 

FAMILY    TURDID^E 
1.    BLUEBIRD     (Si ali a  sialis.) 

Upper  parts  bright  blue  ;  under  parts  chestnut,  shading  into  white 
on  the  belly.  Beak  rather  long  and  slender,  black  ;  feet  black. 
Bird  a  little  larger  than  a  sparrow.  Sexes  alike,  but  female 
duller. 

THIS  best  loved  of  all  our  birds  may  be  found 
in  orchards  and  gardens,  in  the  neighborhood  of 
dwellings,  and  among  scattered  trees.  A  favorite 
perch  is  a  fence-post. 

The  bluebird,  shifting  his  light  load  of  song, 
From  post  to  post  along  the  cheerless  fence. 

LOWELL. 

It  is  one  of  our  earliest  spring  visitors,  coming  in 
early  March,  or  sometimes  even  in  February,  and 
tarrying  until  November,  while  a  few  may  winter  in 
sheltered  places.  Its  familiar,  confiding  ways  and 
conspicuous  coloring  make  it  almost  as  well  known 
as  the  robin. 

39 


40  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

Yonder  bluebird,  with  the  earth-tinge  on  his  breast, 
and  the  sky-tinge  on  his  back.  —  BURROUGHS. 

The  nest  is  usually  placed  in  the  hole  of  a  tree 
or  post,  or  in  a  bird  box.  The  first  eggs  are  laid 
about  the  beginning  of  May,  and  there  are  two  or 
three  sets.  The  same  nest  is  repaired  and  used 
for  the  second  family ;  and  the  little  parents,  if 
kindly  treated,  will  return  year  after  year  to  the 
same  spot. 

The  familiar  call  of  the  bluebird  is  a  soft  cry 
which  has  been  translated  into  the  word  "  Bermuda, 
Bermuda."  This  note  may  be  heard  in  the  spring 
for  a  day  or  two  before  the  bird  can  be  seen.  Be- 
sides it,  he  has  a  simple  warble,  uttered  with 
open,  quivering  wings,  which  is  very  tenderly  at- 
tractive. He  sings  from  the  time  of  his  arrival  until 
about  midsummer,  then  becomes  silent,  but  resumes 
his  song  (in  the  neighborhood  of  New  York,  at 
least)  in  mid-September,  continuing  it  until  the  end 
of  October. 

LITERATURE: 

In  Nesting-Time.  —OLIVE  THORNE  MILLER. 
Little  Brothers  of  the  Air.  —  IBID. 
Wake-Robin.  —  JOHN  BURROUGHS. 


Family  Turdidce —  American  Robin       41 


2.   AMERICAN   ROBIN     (Merula  mtgratoria.) 

Upper  parts  grayish  brown,  head  darker ;  under  parts  in  general 
chestnut;  throat  spotted  black  and  white  ;  tail  with  small  white 
blotches  on  outer  feathers.  Beak  long  and  rather  slender,  yel- 
low ;  feet  dark.  Length  from  top  of  head  to  tip  of  tail  about  ten 
inches.  Sexes  similar,  save  that  the  female  is  duller. 

THIS  most  familiar  of  all  our  native  birds  is  to 
be  found  everywhere  except  in  deep  woods.  He 
is,  generally  speaking,  a  summer  resident,  coming 
to  us  in  early  March  and  remaining  until  October. 
A  few,  however,  spend  the  entire  year ;  they  should 
be  sought  in  winter  in  such  swampy  woods  as  fur- 
nish at  once  protection  against  the  weather  and  the 
possibility  of  food.  At  this  season  the  birds  live 
chiefly  upon  berries,  but  during  the  rest  of  the 
year  the  food  consists  largely  of  earth-worms ;  and 
it  is  an  interesting  sight  to  watch  a  robin  hop- 
ping over  the  lawn,  listening  for  the  worm,  and 
finally  dragging  it  out  of  its  hole.  Robins  also 
destroy  vast  numbers  of  injurious  insect  larvae, 
which  they  collect  as  food  for  their  young  ones. 

When  they  first  arrive  they  live  in  loose  flocks, 
and  after  the  breeding  season  is  over  they  resume 
the  habit.  At  this  time  they  assemble  in  great 
companies  to  pass  the  nights  together  at  some 
favorite  spot,  going  their  various  ways  in  the  morn- 


42  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

ing,  to  return  again  at  nightfall.  Of  these  so-called 
"  robin  roosts  "  a  large  one  exists  in  Melrose. 

The  nest  is  built  in  very  various  places;  shrubs, 
vines,  and  trees,  especially  evergreens.  Sometimes 
not  more  than  three  feet  from  the  ground,  it  has 
been  known  to  be  as  much  as  fifty.  Eggs  are  laid 
about  the  first  of  May,  and  there  are  two,  or  even 
three  sets. 

The  notes  are  all  simple,  but  various,  so  that  one 
can  tell  a  robin's  song  rather  by  the  quality  of  the 
voice  than  by  the  exact  notes.  The  bird  usually 
chooses  the  very  top  of  the  tree  for-  his  stage,  and 
sings  as  energetically  in  cloudy  and  even  rainy 
weather  as  in  the  sunshine.  His  song  has  been 
thus  paraphrased  : 

"  In  the  sunshine  and  the  rain 
I  hear  the  robin  in  the  lane 
Singing,  '  Cheerily, 
Cheer  up,  cheer  up, 
Cheerily,  cheerily,  cheer  up?  " 

Bicknell  states  that  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York 
robins  often  do  not  begin  to  sing  until  some  time 
after  their  arrival.  Song  continues  until  mid-July, 
and  with  waning  vigor  through  August.  September 
is  a  silent  month ;  but  the  heart  to  sing  comes  back 
with  its  closing  day,  and  the  robin  is  nearly  as 
tuneful  in  October  as  in  the  spring. 


Family  Turdidce  —  Hermit  Thrush        43 

LITERATURE: 

Pepacton.     (Art.  "  Notes  by  the  Way.")  —BURROUGHS. 

Birdways.     (Art.  "  A  Bird  of  the  Morning.")—  O.  T.  MILLER. 

A  Naturalist's  Rambles.     (Art.  "  A  Short  Study  of  Birds'  Nests.") 

—  C.  C.  ABBOTT. 

The  Footpath  Way.    (Art.  "  Robin  Roosts.")  —  BRADFORD  TORREY. 
Summer  Robin  Roosts.  —  BREWSTER.     "  The  Auk,"  vol.  vii. 


3.    HERMIT  THRUSH 
(Turdus  aonalascJikce  pallasii.) 

Head  and  back  olive  brown,  passing  into  reddish  brown  on  the 
rump,  and  especially  on  the  tail;  throat  and  forebreast  yellow- 
ish white,  thickly  marked  with  large,  dark,  angular  spots  ;  re- 
maining under  parts  light  olive  on  the  sides  and  white  in  the 
middle.  Beak  slender,  black;  feet  brown.  Bird  considerably 
larger  than  a  sparrow.  Sexes  similar,  save  that  the  female  is  a 
little  smaller. 

THIS  exquisite  bird  may  be  sought  in  woods, 
whether  swampy  or  dry,  and  also  along  wooded 
roadsides.  It  is  ordinarily  to  be  found  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Boston  only  in  the  last  half  of 
April  and  again  in  October.  In  the  spring  it  is 
found  mostly  on  the  ground  and  in  low  underbrush  ; 
in  the  fall  it  is  more  upon  the  trees. 

Breeding  takes  place  in  northern  New  England, 
in  the  higher  parts  of  central  and  western  Massa- 
chusetts, and  upon  Cape  Cod.  The  nest  is  almost 
always  placed  upon  the  ground,  usually  on  a  sunny, 
wooded  bank  in  the  neighborhood  of  a  swamp.  Eggs 
are  laid  early  in  June,  and  there  are  often  two  sets. 


44  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

The  hermit  thrush  is  the  most  exquisite  of  all  our 
singers ;  but  his  music  is  rarely  to  be  heard  with 
us,  for  he  is  usually  silent  except  in  the  summer, 
although  he  has  been  heard  to  sing  during  both 
spring  and  fall  migrations.  His  song  has  been  de- 
scribed by  Burroughs,  " '  O  spheral,  spheral,  O 
holy,  holy :  O  clear  away,  clear  away,  O  clear 
up,  clear  up,'  interposed  with  the  finest  trills  and 
the  most  delicate  preludes."  There  is  said  to  be 
about  it  a  peculiar  spiritual  quality  lacking  in  the 
song  of  any  other  bird. 

LITERATURE  : 

Little  Brothers  of  the  Air.  —  OLIVE  THORNK  MILLER. 


4.    OLIVE-BACKED    THRUSH 

(Turdus  iistulatus  swains  onii.) 

Upper  parts  of  a  uniform  olive  brown  ;  under  parts  grayish  white, 
passing  into  pure  white  on  the  middle  of  the  belly  and  pale  olive 
on  its  sides  ;  throat  and  breast  thickly  marked  with  rather  small 
dusky  spots  except  on  the  middle  of  the  throat,  where  they  are 
entirely  absent.  Beak  slender,  the  upper  mandible  dark,  and  the 
lower  one  dark  at  the  tip  and  yellow  at  the  base;  feet  brown. 
Bird  rather  larger  than  a  sparrow.  Sexes  similar,  save  that  the 
female  is  usually  a  little  smaller. 

THE  olive-backed  thrush  should  be  sought  among 
woods,  in  orchards,  or  along  swampy  roads.  It 
spends  the  latter  part  of  May  in  the  vicinity  of 
Boston,  passes  on  to  northern  New  England  to 


Family   Tnrdidcz  —  Wilson  s   Thrush       45 

breed,  and  returns  again  about  the  end  of  Septem- 
ber. In  the  fall  they  are  less  shy  than  in  the 
spring,  and  are  more  likely  to  be  found  upon  the 
ground. 

The  nest  is  placed  in  a  low  tree  or  a  bush  not 
more  than  ten  feet  from  the  ground,  and  often  much 
less.  Eggs  are  laid  somewhat  before  the  middle  of 
June,  and  there  are  often  two  sets. 

Like  the  hermit,  the  olive-backed  thrush  usually 
sings  only  in  his  summer  home  ;  Bicknell  states, 
however,  that  he  may  be  heard  during  the  spring 
migration.  The  song  is  said  to  be  "  sweet,  clear, 
and  liquid,"  but  less  varied  than  those  of  our  other 
thrushes. 


5.    WILSON'S  THRUSH,  VEERY 

(  Turdus  fusee scens . ) 

Upper  parts  a  uniform  shade  of  somewhat  tawny  brown  ;  f orebreast 
and  sides  of  throat  buff,  marked  with  small  brown  arrow-heads 
which  blend  so  with  the  general  color  that  at  a  few  rods  distance 
the  breast  seems  of  a  dull  uniform  buff  ;  middle  of  throat  white  ; 
remaining  under  parts  pale  olive  gray.  Beak  large,  slender, 
upper  mandible  dark,  lower  one  pale  ;  feet  pale.  Bird  rather 
larger  than  a  sparrow.  Sexes  similar,  save  that  the  female  is 
smaller. 

THE  veery  is  the  most  common  of  our  thrushes, 
and  may  be  sought  on  or  near  the  ground  in  the 
neighborhood  of  swampy  woods  and  among  pine- 


46  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

trees.  He  comes  to  us  early  in  May,  "  usually  with 
the  first  blossoms  of  the  pear,"  and  remains  until 
the  end  of  September. 

The  nest  is  commonly  placed  on  the  ground. 
Eggs  are  laid  about  the  end  of  May,  and  there 
are  sometimes  two  sets. 

The  song  has  a  peculiar  liquid  quality  by  which 
it  may  readily  be  recognized,  and,  moreover,  it 
seems  to  repeat  constantly  the  syllables,  "  veery, 
veery."  The  bird  sings  most  continuously  in  the 
evening,  prolonging  his  music  even  after  darkness 
has  begiun  to  fall.  The  song-period  ends  in  early 
July,  and  knows  no  revival  in  the  foil. 

LITERATURE: 

/n  Nesting-Time.  —  OLIVE  THORNE  MILLER. 
Little  Brothers  of  the  Air,  —  IBID. 

6.     WOOD    THRUSH     (Turdus  mustelinus.} 

Head  and  back  tawny  brown,  gradually  shading  into  olivaceous  on 
rump  and  tail ;  under  parts  pure  white  marked  with  scattered, 
sharply  denned,  somewhat  triangular  blackish  spots,  which 
tend  to  arrange  themselves  into  longitudinal  lines ;  cheeks 
dusky,  streaked  with  white.  Beak  long  and  large,  light  brown, 
lower  mandible  with  a  pale  base  ;  feet  pale.  Sexes  similar. 

THE  wood  thrush  may  be  sought  in  woods  of 
various  kinds,  especially  in  those  which  are  low 
and  damp.  He  comes  to  us  early  in  May,  and 
leaves  again  in  September  or  October. 


Family   Turdidce —  Wood  Thrush.         47 

The  nest  is  usually  built  in  a  low  bush  or  tree, 
only  a  few  feet  from  the  ground ;  and  a  swampy 
place  is  especially  likely  to  be  selected.  Eggs  are 
laid  about  the  end  of  May,  and  there  is  sometimes 
a  second  set. 

The  wood-thrush  is  one  of  our  exquisite  musi- 
cians. The  song  is  usually  delivered  from  the  top 
of  a  tall  tree,  either  in  the  early  morning,  or  in  the 
deepening  dusk  of  evening ;  though,  should  the  day 
be  cloudy,  he  may  be  heard  at  other  hours.  The 
song  is  rich  and  various,  and  is  almost  impossible 
of  translation  into  syllables.  But  among  others  the 
sound  of  Eolie,  Eolie,  in  a  peculiarly  liquid  tone, 
and  followed  by  a  trill,  may  often  be  noted.  In  the 
neighborhood  of  New  York,  the  wood-thrush  sings 
from  the  tims  of  his  arrival  until  about  the  middle 
of  August,  and,  having  ceased,  does  not  again  re- 
sume his  music  in  the  fall. 

LITERATURE  : 

Birdways.  —  OLIVE  THORNE  MILLER.    - 


48  Land  Birds  of  New  England 


FAMILY    SYLVIID^J 

7.    RUBY-CROWNED   KINGLET 

{Reg  ulus  ca  I  en  dula . ) 

Upper  parts  greenish  olive  ;  wings  and  tail  dusky,  edged  with  yel- 
lowish ;  wing  with  two  whitish  bars  ;  under  parts  grayish  or 
yellowish  white.  Crown  with  rich  scarlet  patch,  which  is 
wanting  in  the  female.  Bill  slender  and  black ;  feet  black. 
One  of  our  smallest  birds ;  about  two-thirds  as  long  as  a 
sparrow. 

THIS  exquisite  little  creature  abounds  in  wooded 
regions,  in  parks  and  gardens  which  contain  cone- 
bearing  trees.  It  associates  in  troops  with  chicka- 
dees and  golden-crowned  kinglets ;  but  it  merely 
passes  through  this  region  of  the  country  on  its  way 
to  and  from  its  northern  breeding  grounds.  It  is 
here  from  mid-April  to  early  May,  and  again  from 
early  October  to  mid-November.  It  is  said  to  fre- 
quent in  the  spring  chiefly  the  tops  of  trees,  and  in 
the  fall  the  lower  branches. 

Breeding  probably  takes  place  in  the  extreme 
northern  part  of  New  Hampshire  and  Vermont,  in 
the  regions  to  the  north  of  this,  and  also  in  the 
mountains  somewhat  farther  south.  The  few  nests 
which  have  been  discovered  have  been  found  in 


Family  Sylviidce  —  Kinglets  49 

woodlands  in  cone-bearing  trees,  at  a  considerable 
height  from  the  ground. 

It  is  an  exquisite  songster ;  its  "  notes  are  clear, 
very  loud,  and  prolonged,  full  of  variety  and  purity." 
But,  unfortunately,  while  with  us,  it  has  the  habit  of 
most  birds  of  passage,  and  ordinarily  restricts  itself 
to  a  mere  chirp ;  although,  according  to  Bicknell,  its 
song  may  be  heard  both  in  the  spring  and  in  the 
fall. 

8.     GOLDEN-CROWNED   KINGLET 
GOLDEN-CRESTED  KINGLET 

(Regulus  satrapa.) 

Male:  upper  parts  olive-gray;  under  parts  grayish  white ;  wings 
and  tail  dusky,  wing  with  two  white  bars  ;  crown  flame-color 
bordered  with  yellow,  and  this  again  with  black  ;  white  line 
over  the  eye.  Beak  and  feet  small,  dark.  Bird  less  than  half 
the  size  of  a  sparrow.  Female  :  similar,  but  the  crown  yellow, 
bordered  with  black. 

THIS  tiny  exquisite  may  be  found  at  any  time 
from  the  last  of  October  to  the  first  of  May,  al- 
though more  abundant  in  spring  and  fall.  So  far 
as  my  observation  goes,  he  is  most  likely  to  be 
found  in  evergreens,  especially  Norway  spruces, 
but  Minot  speaks  of  finding  him  most  abundantly 
among  white  birches.  They  ordinarily  move  about 
in  small  companies,  made  up  not  only  of  their  own 
kind,  but  of  other  small  birds.  In  spring  they  may 


50  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

often  be  seen  fluttering  before  some  opening  cluster 
of  leaves,  and  gathering  from  it  the  insects  which  it 
has  attracted. 

The  bird  nests  chiefly  in  northern  New  England, 
and  farther  north.  Few  nests  have  been  described. 
Those  found  in  Massachusetts  were  in  the  top  of 
tall  spruces ;  one  discovered  in  the  White  Moun- 
tains was  in  a  hemlock  only  about  four  feet  from 
the  ground. 

With  us  the  kinglets  are  almost  silent ;  in  their 
summer  homes  they  have  a  song  which,  according  to 
Brewster,  "  consists  of  a  succession  of  five  or  six 
shrill,  high-pitched,  somewhat  faltering  notes,  and 
ends  with  a  short,  rather  explosive  warble,  as  follows  : 
Tzee,  tzee,  tzee,  tzee,  ti,  ti,  ter-ti-ti-ti-ti." 

LITERATURE: 

Breeding    of   the  Golden-crested  Kinglet.  —  BREWSTER.       "  The 
Auk,"  vol.  v. 


Familv  Paridce  —  Chickadee  5 1 


FAMILY    PARIDCE 

9.     CHICKADEE;   BLACK-CAPPED   TITMOUSE 

(Par us   atricapillus.} 

Upper  parts  ashy  :  under  parts  rusty  white ;  crown,  nape,  and 
throat  black  ;  cheeks  white  ;  quills  of  wings  and  tail  white- 
edged.  Beak  and  feet  small,  black.  Bird  rather  less  than  two- 
thirds  the  size  of  a  sparrow.  Sexes  similar. 

THESE  confiding  and  sociable  little  birds  spend 
the  entire  year  with  us,  but  are  most  abundant  in 
the  winter,  when  the  residents  are  re-enforced  by 
others  who  have  come  from  the  north.  As  they  are 
also  less  shy  at  this  season,  it  furnishes  by  far  the 
best  time  for  studying  them.  I  have  found  them 
most  abundant  among  hemlocks,  where  they  cling, 
often  head  downward,  to  the  branches,  picking  out 
small  insects  which  have  lodged  in  cones  and  other 
parts  of  the  tree.  Minot  speaks  of  finding  them 
especially  among  pines  and  white  birches.  On  hard 
wood  trees  they  not  infrequently  cling  to  the  trunks, 
and  climb  along  the  under  side  of  large  horizontal 
boughs  somewhat  after  the  fashion  of  creepers. 
They  can  readily  be  attracted  to  the  window  by 
cracked  hickory  nuts  placed  on  the  sill.  They  usu- 
ally move  in  small  companies,  and  are  extremely 
sociable,  not  only  among  themselves,  but  with  other 


52  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

birds.      A  favorite  winter   amusement   is   to    drop 
from  a  tree  into  the  soft  snow: 

Flying  low, 
Prints  his  small  impress  in  the  snow. 

EMERSON. 

The  nest  is  usually  made  in  a  post  or  tree,  either 
in  a  cavity  which  has  been  found  or  in  one  made 
by  the  little  parents  themselves.  Eggs  are  laid  the 
last  of  May. 

The  commonest  song  is  that  which  has  given 
them  their  name ;  it  resembles  the  syllables  chick- 
a-dee-dee-dee.  Besides  this,  there  is  another  heard 
usually  in  the  warmer  days  of  winter  and  in  spring. 
It  consists  of  two  sweet,  clear  notes  of  equal  length, 
the  second  a  fifth  lower  than  the  first,  and  sounds 
somewhat  like  the  word  phcebe.  It  is  often  mis- 
taken for  the  note  of  the  phcebe. 

Thy  call  in  spring, 
As  "'twould  accost  some  frivolous  wing, 
Crying  out  of  the  hazel  copse,  Phe-be ! 
And  in  winter,  Chic-a-dee-dee ! 

EMERSON. 

The  chickadee,  according  to  Bicknell,  "  has  also  a 
short  run  of  low,  musically  modulated  notes,  in  fact, 
a  short  warble."' 

LITERATURE: 

A  Rambler's  Lease.    (Art.  "A  Bird's-nest  Hunter.")  — BRADFORD 

TORREY. 


Family  Paridce  —  Nuthatch  53 


10.  RED-BREASTED   NUTHATCH 
RED-BELLIED    NUTHATCH 
CANADA  NUTHATCH 

(Sitta  canadensis.) 

Male:  upper  parts  bluish  gray;  wings  and  tail  dark,  the  latter 
with  white  blotches  ;  under  parts  in  general  rusty  brown,  light- 
est on  the  throat,  very  variable  in  shade  ;  crown  black,  bordered 
in  front  and  at  the  sides  by  a  white  stripe  and  this  by  a  black 
stripe.  Bill  slender,  pointed,  dark.  Feet  horn-colored.  Bird 
not  quite  two  thirds  the  size  of  a  sparrow.  Female:  similar, 
but  without  the  black  crown. 

THE  red-breasted  nuthatch  is  an  irregular  winter 
resident,  sometimes  abundant,  sometimes  nearly  or 
quite  absent.  He  comes  to  us  in  the  early  fall,  and 
retires  in  April  or  May.  He  is  much  less  common 
than  his  brother,  the  white-breasted  nuthatch,  but 
should  be  looked  for  especially  among  spruces.  His 
habits  render  him  readily  recognizable,  for  he  runs 
up  and  down  the  trunks  of  trees  in  search  of  insects 
which  are  lodged  in  the  cracks.  Spruce  and  pine 
seeds  are  also  favorite  articles  of  diet. 

Breeding  takes  place  in  northern  New  England 
and  in  mountainous  parts  of  Massachusetts.  The 
nest  is  built  in  a  hole  dug  in  an  old  tree  or  stump. 

The  note  resembles  that  of  the  white-breasted 
nuthatch,  but  is  fainter  and  more  musical. 

LITERATURE  :    Nesting  Habits    of    the   Red-bellied   Nuthatch.  — 
HARDY.     Bull.  Nuttall  Club,  vol.  iii. 


54  Land  Birds  of  New  England 


11.  WHITE-BREASTED   NUTHATCH 
WHITE-BELLIED   NUTHATCH 
CAROLINA  NUTHATCH 

(Sitta  ca rolin ensis) . 

Male:  upper  parts  bluish  gray;  wings  and  tail  dusky,  the  latter 
with  white  markings  ;  head  and  nape  black  ;  under  parts  white. 
Beak  long,  strong,  dark  ;  feet  horn  color.  Bird  a  little  smaller 
than  a  sparrow.  Female:  similar,  but  black  of  head  imperfect 
or  largely  wanting. 

THE  nuthatch  is  readily  recognizable  by  its  very 
short  tail,  and  by  its  habit  of  running  down  as  well 
as  up  tree  trunks.  "  That  little  up-side-down  bird  " 
it  has  been  called.  It  spends  the  whole  year  with 
us,  but  it  is  more  abundant  in  the  colder  months 
than  at  other  times.  It  may  be  found  in  mixed 
woods,  especially  where  there  are  many  old,  decay- 
ing trees  and  stumps.  It  feeds  chiefly  on  insects 
and  larvae,  which  it  picks  out  from  the  crevices  of 
the  bark ;  but  it  is  also  fond  of  nuts,  and  may  be 
attracted  from  the  trees  to  a  neighboring  window  by 
cracked  hickory  nuts  spread  on  the  sill. 

The  nest  is  built  in  open  woodland  at  the  bottom 
of  a  hole  dug  out  in  a  dead  tree  or  stump. 

Its  ordinary  note  is  a  harsh  cry,  somewhat  resem- 
bling the  syllables  quank,  quank. 


Family  Certkiidce — Brown  Creeper        55 


FAMILY    CERTHIID^J 

12.     BROWN   CREEPER 

(  Certhia  fa  mi  liar  is  americana  ) . 

Upper  parts  mottled  brown,  black,  and  flaxen  with  a  tawny  tinge 
upon  the  rump  ;  under  parts  grayish  white.  Beak  very  long, 
slender,  and  decurved,  upper  mandible  dark,  lower  one  light; 
feet  slender,  dark  ;  tail  with  its  quills  pointed.  Bird  rather  less 
than  two-thirds  the  size  of  a  sparrow.  Sexes  similar,  save  that 
the  female  is  somewhat  smaller. 

THIS  inconspicuous  little  bird  spends  the  entire 
year  with  us,  but  is  more  abundant  in  spring  and 
fall  than  at  any  other  time,  and  more  abundant 
in  winter  than  in  summer.  At  the  latter  season  he 
frequents  thick  and  sheltered  woods,  but  in  spring 
and  fall  he  is  to  be  found  in  open  woodland  or 
parks.  He  may  be  recognized  as  soon  as  seen,  for 
he  is  the  only  little  brown  bird  we  have  which  has 
the  habit  of  winding  spirally  up  the  tree  trunks. 
Moreover,  he  often  betrays  his  presence  by  a  faint, 
lisping  chirp,  one  of  the  weakest  of  all  bird  notes. 
It  is  difficult,  however,  to  watch  him;  for  if  he  sus- 
pects an  observer  he  is  very  likely  to  dodge  to  the 
other  side  of  the  trunk.  He  is  said  to  prefer  trees 
with  rough  bark,  which  are  more  likely  to  harbor 


56  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

the  larvae  and  minute  insects  on  which  he  feeds. 
Minot  speaks  of  his  preference  for  the  pine,  and  I 
have  frequently  found  him  on  oaks  of  various  kinds. 

The  nest  is  placed  in  deep  woods,  "  behind  a 
sliver  of  loose  bark  on  a  decayed  tree  or  stub." 
Eggs  are  laid  about  the  middle  of  May. 

The  song,  which  is  rarely  heard  with  us,  is  de- 
scribed by  Brewster  as  consisting  "  of  a  bar  of  four 
notes,  the  first  of  moderate  pitch,  the  second  lower 
and  less  emphatic,  the  third  rising  again,  and  the 
last  abruptly  falling." 

LITERATURE: 

Breeding  Habits  of  the  American  Brown  Creeper.  —  BREWSTER. 
"  Bulletin  of  the  Nuttall  Ornithological  Club."     1879. 


Family  Troglody tides  —  Marsh    Wren      57 


FAMILY    TROGLODYTID^l. 

13.    LONG-BILLED   MARSH  WREN 

(Cistothorus  palustris.} 

Upper  parts  in  general  brown,  darker  on  the  head  ;  back  with  a 
triangular  patch  of  black  and  white  mottling  ;  wings  and  tail 
marked  with  blackish  ;  under  parts  grayish  white  in  the  middle, 
brownish  on  the  sides.  Bill  very  long  and  slender,  lower  man- 
dible pale  at  the  base  ;  feet  brown.  Bird  rather  less  than  two- 
thirds  the  size  of  a  sparrow.  Sexes  similar. 

THE  marsh  wrens  should  be  sought  in  such 
swampy  regions  as  are  destitute  of  trees  and  shrubs, 
but  filled  with  reeds ;  and  the  swamps  may  be 
either  salt  or  fresh  water  ones.  The  long-bill 
comes  to  us  about  the  middle  of  May,  and  leaves 
again  in  October,  but  rarely  or  never  goes  farther 
north.  He  lives  in  colonies  ;  and  should  his  domain 
be  invaded,  he  makes  known  his  displeasure  by  an 
angry  scolding  which  betrays  the  secret  he  desires 
to  guard. 

Their  postures  are  sometimes  very  comical ;  a 
favorite  attitude  is  with  the  tail  thrown  ^tp  until  it 
almost  covers  the  back  and  the  head  lowered.  In 
this  position  they  have  a  peculiar  swaying  motion, 
back  and  forward^  as  if  they  were  on  a  pivot,  and  in 
this  position  they  sing  most  frequently.  Others  mav 
be  seen  scrambling  like  little  mice  up  and  down  the 


58  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

reed  stems,  or  all  over  their  globular  nests.  They 
appear  among  themselves  to  be  excitable  to  the  verge  of 
irascibility,  and  not  seldom  quite  beyond  such  moderate 
limit.  —  COUES. 

The  nest  is  hung  among  reeds,  and  the  eggs  are 
laid  in  early  June.  Like  many  other  wrens,  the 
males  of  this  species  appear  to  employ  themselves 
with  building  a  succession  of  nests,  only  a  few  of 
which  are  ever  used. 

The  song  is  said  by  Nuttal  to  be  "  a  sort  of  short, 
tremulous,  and  hurried  warble."  The  first  song- 
period  ends  (in  the  neighborhood  of  New  York) 
early  in  August ;  but  isolated  songs  may  be  heard 
later,  and,  according  to  Bicknell,  there  is  reason 
to  believe  that,  after  the  wren  goes  south,  it  has 
a  second  song-period. 

LITERATURE:  Upland  and  Meadow.  —  C.  C.  ABBOTT. 

14.     SHORT-BILLED   MARSH  WREN 

(  Cistothorus  stellar  is . ) 

Upper  parts  in  general  brown ;  head  and  back  with  more  or  less 
black  and  white  mottling ;  wings  and  tail  marked  with  black- 
ish ;  under  parts  grayish  white  in  the  middle,  brownish  on  the 
sides.  Bill  scarcely  half  as  long  as  the  head,  slender ;  feet  pale. 
Bird  considerably  less  than  two-thirds  the  size  of  a  sparrow. 
Sexes  similar. 

THE  short-billed  marsh  wren  is  to  be  found  in 
open  swamps  and  meadows;  but  he  does  not,  like 


Family  Troglodytidce —  Winter  Wren      59 

the  long-billed,  frequent  reed-flats.  He  is  to  be 
distinguished  from  the  long-billed  chiefly  by  his 
smaller  size  and  his  shorter  bill.  The  habits  of 
the  two  are  much  alike,  save  that  the  short-billed 
is  shyer,  and  is  said  not  to  live  in  colonies.  For 
a  fuller  account  the  reader  is  referred  to  the 
description  just  preceding  this  one.  The  bird 
comes  to  us  about  the  middle  of  May,  and  leaves 
about  the  end  of  September. 

The  nest  is  placed  on  the  ground  in  a  tuft  of 
grass  in  a  swamp.  Eggs  are  laid  in  early  June. 

The  song  is  much  like  that  of  the  long-bill. 

LITERATURE:    Upland  and  Meadow.  —  C.  C.  ABBOTT. 


15.     WINTER   WREN     (Troglodytes  hiemalis.) 

Upper  parts  brown,  obscurely  marked  with  dusky  ;  throat,  breast, 
and  middle  of  belly  whitey-brown  obscurely  mottled  ;  sides  of 
belly  and  crissum  dark  brown  mottled  with  white.  Beak 
slender,  upper  mandible  dark,  lower  one  pale  ;  feet  brown  ;  tail 
much  shorter  than  outstretched  legs.  Bird  about  half  the  length 
of  a  sparrow.  Sexes  similar. 

THIS  little  creature,  the  smallest  of  our  wrens,  and 
almost  the  smallest  of  our  birds,  is  generally  to  be 
seen  here  only  in  April,  October,  and  November,  on 
his  way  to  and  from  his  northern  breeding-ground, 
although  he  summers  at  a  few  places  in  Massachu- 
setts. He  usually  travels  alone,  and  frequents  woods 


60  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

and  wooded  roads,  busying  himself  in  the  search  for 
food  about  logs  and  brush-heaps.  He  is  not  very 
common  ;  and  his  small  size,  inconspicuous  coloring, 
and  retiring  habits  make  him  seem  rarer  than  he 
is.  He  is  best  studied  farther  north,  both  because 
he  is  less  shy  on  his  breeding-grounds  than  during 
his  migration,  and  because  his  song  there  calls 
attention  to  his  presence. 

The  nest  is  placed  at  the  foot  of  a  moss-covered 
stump,  under  a  tree,  or  in  a  pile  of  brush.  He 
breeds  in  the  White  Mountains  and  farther  north. 

The  song  is  both  exquisite  and  brilliant,  —  wild, 
impassioned,  and  joyous,  —  one  of  the  rarest  of 
our  sylvan  melodies.  The  first  song-period  closes 
about  the  end  of  August ;  a  second  one  begins 
about  a  month  later,  and  continues  until  his  depart- 
ure for  the  South. 


16.     HOUSE   WREN     (Troglodytes  aedon.) 

Upper  parts  brown,  mottled  with  darker;  under  parts  brownish  or 
grayish,  mottled  with  darker ;  breast  usually  darker  than  either 
throat  or  belly.  Beak  slender,  pale ;  feet  pale  ;  tail  about  as 
long  as  the  outstretched  legs.  Bird  less  than  two-thirds  the 
length  of  a  sparrow.  Sexes  similar. 

THE  house  wren  is  a  common  summer  resident  of 
Massachusetts,  but  is  rarely  seen  north  of  this  State. 
Even  in  southern  New  England,  though  common, 


Family   Troglodytidce  —  House    Wren      61 

he  is  very  local.  He  comes  to  the  neighborhood 
of  Boston  early  in  May,  and  leaves  again  in  late 
September.  He  frequents  exclusively  cultivated 
grounds,  gardens,  and  outbuildings,  and  has  the 
usual  wren  characteristics  — 

Sprightly,  fearless,  and  impudent  little  creatures,  apt 
to  show  bad  temper  when  they  fancy  themselves  ag- 
grieved by  cats  or  people,  or  anything  else  that  is  big  or 
unpleasant  to  them  ;  they  quarrel  a  good  deal,  and  are 
particularly  spiteful  towards  martins  and  swallows, 
whose  homes  they  often  invade  and  occupy.  —  COUES. 

The  nest  is  built  in  a  bird-box,  or  hole,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  an  outhouse,  often  under  the 
eaves.  Eggs  are  laid  early  in  June,  and  there  are 
sometimes  two  sets. 

The  song,  according  to  Minot,  "  consists  of  a  few 
loud  and  sprightly  notes,  followed  by  a  loud  and 
very  characteristic  trill,  which  is  its  most  prominent 
feature/' 


62  Land  Birds  of  New  England 


17.    BROWN  THRASHER;    THRASHER 
BROWN  THRUSH 

(Harporhynch us  rufus . ) 

Upper  parts  rich  rust-brown  ;  wing  with  two  white  bars  ;  under 
parts  yellowish  white,  marked,  except  on  the  throat,  with  large, 
well-defined  dark  brown  spots.  Beak  large,  dark,  lower  man- 
dible with  a  yellow  base  ;  feet  pale  ;  tail  very  long.  Bird  about 
the  size  of  a  robin,  though  the  extraordinarily  long  tail  would 
make  it  measure  more.  Sexes  similar. 

THIS  large  and  well-known  songster  comes  to  us 
about  the  first  of  May,  and  remains  until  mid- 
October.  On  his  first  arrival  he  may  be  found 
on  cultivated  estates ;  but  he  soon  withdraws  to 
the  rough  slopes  clothed  with  small  second-growth, 
which  form  his  favorite  dwelling-places.  He  may 
be  recognized  at  a  considerable  distance,  from  his 
habit  of  flirting  his  tail  while  perched,  much  after 
the  fashion  of  Jhe  catbird.  And  if  one  gets  a  nearer 
view,  he  may  be  distinguished  from  all  other  thrush- 
like  birds  by  the  two  white  wing-bars  and  the  extra- 
ordinarily long  tail.  Unlike  many  birds,  when  the 
brown  thrush  arrives  he  is  already  mated ;  he  trav- 
els with  his  spouse,  but  cares  nothing  for  other 
company. 

The  nest  is  placed  on  or  near  the  ground  in  a 
retired  thicket  or  swamp.  There  are  two  sets  of 
eggs ;  the  first  ones  are  laid  usually  about  the  end 


Family   Troglodytidce  —  Catbird  63 

of  May,  though  sometimes  as  early  as  the  second 
week.  The  devotion  and  bravery  of  the  parents  in 
caring  for  both  eggs  and  young  is  unusual  even 
among  birds. 

The  song  is  loud,  rich,  and  wonderfully  varied, 
and  is  usually  delivered  from  the  top  of  a  tall  tree. 
And  the  bird  is  a  most  persistent  singer,  continuing 
for  hours  at  a  time.  The  first  song-period  ends  near 
the  close  of  June ;  a  second  one  begins  (in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  New  York)  in  early  September,  and  con- 
tinues nearly  or  quite  a  month.  The  fall  song  has, 
however,  none  of  the  spontaneity  and  vigor  of  the 
spring  one,  but  is  a  low,  rambling  warble. 

LITERATURE : 

In  Nesting-Time.  —  OLIVE  THORNE  MILLER. 
Little  Brothers  of  the  Air. —  IBID. 


18.     CATBIRD      (Galeos copies  carolinensis.) 

Entire  bird  slate-gray  ;  lighter  below  ;  crown  and  tail  black  ;  chest- 
nut patch  at  the  base  of  the  under  side  of  the  tail.  Beak  long 
and  rather  slender,  black  ;  feet  black.  Bird  a  little  smaller  than 
a  robin.  Sexes  similar. 

THIS  familiar  bird  comes  to  us  with  the  pear- 
blossoms,  about  the  first  week  in  May,  and  leaves 
again  in  October.  He  may  be  sought  in  bushy 
places  and  open  woods  in  the  neighborhood  of 


64  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

water.  He  is  more  common  near  cultivated  estates 
than  in  remote  regions,  and,  though  cautious  and 
watchful,  is  by  no  means  shy.  He  moves  about 
easily  and  rapidly  upon  the  ground,  where  he  seeks 
the  "  cutworms,"  which  form  a  considerable  part  of 
his  food.  When  perched,  he  has  an  odd  habit  of 
flirting  his  tail,  and  of  depressing  it  when  he  sings. 

The  nest  is  usually  placed  in  a  thicket ;  in  my 
experience  it  is  commonly  near  the  water.  Eggs 
are  laid  about  the  first  of  June,  and  there  are  some- 
times two  sets.  If  undisturbed,  the  bird  returns 
year  after  year  to  the  same  nesting-place. 

The  notes  of  the  catbird  are  familiar ;  the  com- 
monest one  is  a  cat-like  sound ;  but  besides  this  he 
has  a  rich,  varied,  mellow  song,  which  is  said  to  be 
frequently  marred  or  interrupted  by  the  mimicry  of 
others'  notes.  He  sings  from  his  arrival  until  the 
middle  of  August,  but  has  no  second  song-period. 

LITERATURE  : 

Birdways. — OLIVE  THORNE  MILLER. 


Family  Mniotiltidcz — American  Redstart    65 


FAMILY   MNIOTILTID^ 
19.     AMERICAN   REDSTART    (Setophaga   ruticilla.} 

Male  :  upper  parts,  throat,  and  middle  of  breast  black ;  wings 
dark,  with  irregular  bar  of  reddish  orange ;  tail  with  two 
blotches  of  reddish  orange  near  base  ;  under  surface  of  wings 
and  sides  of  body  of  the  same  color  ;  belly  white.  Beak  rather 
long  and  slender,  black  ;  feet  dark.  Bird  about  two-thirds  as 
large  as  a  sparrow.  Female:  upper  parts  olive;  lower  parts 
grayish  white  ;  wings  dusky,  with  yellow  bar  ;  tail  with  yellow 
blotches  near  base ;  under  surface  of  wings  and  sides  of  body 
yellow. 

THIS  exquisite  gem  of  the  woodlands  is  to  be 
found  especially  on  the  wooded  borders  of  swamps 
and  meadows,  being  attracted  there  by  the  flying 
insects  which  constitute  its  food.  Its  habit  of 
constantly  opening  and  closing  its  tail  as  it  flies, 
renders  it  even  more  conspicuous  than  it  would 
otherwise  be.  In  Wellesley  it  is  by  no  means  a 
timid  or  an  uncommon  bird  ;  it  arrives  in  early 
May,  and  leaves  again  in  late  September. 

The  nest  is  placed  in  a  fork  of  a  shrub  or  small 
tree.  The  eggs  are  laid  about  the  first  week  in  June. 

It  has  the  twittering  notes  and  the  incessant 
motion  characteristic  of  the  warblers,  but  I  have 
been  unable  to  mark  any  distinctive  peculiarity  in 
either  flight  or  note.  It  is  sometimes  silent  in 


66  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

July,  singing  again  in  August;  and  sometimes 
sings  through  July,  and  has  no  supplementary 
song-period. 

LITERATURE: 

Little  Brothers  of  the  Air.  —  OLIVE  THORNE  MILLER. 


20.     MARYLAND   YELLOWTHROAT 

(  Geoth  lypis  trie  has . ) 

Male :  upper  parts  olivaceous  ;  forehead  and  cheeks  black  ;  throat 
and  breast  yellow,  shading  into  yellowish  gray  on  belly.  Beak 
slender,  dark  ;  feet  light  brown.  Female  :  similar,  but  duller, 
and  without  the  black  forehead  and  cheeks. 

THIS  beautiful  bird,  which  is  one  of  our  most 
abundant  warblers,  should  be  sought  in  low  ground 
which  lies  near  the  water  and  is  overgrown  with 
bushes.  It  seems  ordinarily  to  prefer  tangles  where 
there  are  no  high  trees.  According  to  Minot,  on 
its  first  arrival  it  spends  much  of  its  time  in  trees, 
often  in  parks,  only  later  betaking  itself  to  lower 
ground.  It  is  usually  seen  on  or  near  the  ground, 
and  has  the  habit  of  constantly  moving  its  tail,  both 
when  it  is  in  the  bushes  and  while  on  the  earth.  It 
comes  to  us  by  the  middle  of  May,  and  remains 
until  the  first  of  October. 

The  nest  is  usually  placed  on  the  ground  beside 
a  brook  or  in  a  swamp ;  it  is  occasionally,  however, 


Family  Mniotiltidce  —  Water  Thrush      67 

built  in  a  thicket.  Eggs  are  usually  laid  about  the 
end  of  May;  there  are  always  two  and  possibly 
sometimes  three  sets. 

These  birds  sing  more  or  less  all  day.  The  most 
characteristic  notes  resemble  the  syllables  "  witch- 
ity,  witchity,  witchity,"  sometimes  varied  to  "  wee- 
chee-chee-wee,"  and  again  to  a  song  much  like  that 
of  the  yellow  warbler.  Especially  in  August  the 
bird  sings  during  flight;  but  the  notes  are  quite  un- 
like the  characteristic  music,  the  entire  flight-song 
being  thus  described  by  Bicknell :  "And  as  the  or- 
dinary song  with  which  it  begins  comes  to  an  end 
while  yet  the  bird  is  in  the  air,  the  time  is  filled  out 
by  a  disarranged  medley  of  notes  very  different  from 
the  usual  utterance. " 

These  song  flights  oftenest  occur  in  the  late  after- 
noon or  toward  evening. 

21.     WATER   THRUSH     (Seiurus   naveboracensis.) 

Upper  parts  dark  olive-brown,  with  a  yellowish  line  above  the 
eye ;  under  parts  sulphur  yellow,  heavily  streaked  with  dark 
brown.  Beak  long,  dark ;  the  feet  are  said  by  Coues  to  be 
dark,  but  they  are  at  least  occasionally  light  brown.  Sexes 
indistinguishable. 

THE  water  thrush  is  to  be  sought  in  swamps  and 
on  the  borders  of  brooks,  ponds,  and  small  lakes. 
It  comes  to  us  in  late  May  for  a  brief  visit,  and 
again  in  early  August  for  a  stay  of  a  couple  of 


68  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

months,  and  a  few.  remain  through  the  summer.  At 
migration  times  it  is  not  especially  shy,  and  may 
readily  be  approached.  It  is  almost  always  on  the 
ground,  where,  unlike  most  birds,  it  walks  instead 
of  hopping.  Another  peculiarity  is  its  habit  of 
jerking  its  tail  upward  with  every  few  steps.  Still 
another  unusual  habit  is  that  of  wading  in  the  shal- 
lows, where  it  seeks  aquatic  insects. 

The  nest  is  usually  built  on  or  near  the  ground 
in  the  neighborhood  of  water,  but  at  this  season  the 
bird  is  very  shy.  Eggs  are  laid  about  the  first  of  June. 

The  song  is  described  by  Coues  as  "  beginning 
with  a  sudden,  almost  startling,  burst  of  melody 
that  .  .  .  keeps  falling  till  the  slightest  breath  of 
air  may  blow  the  rest  away." 

According  to  Bicknell,  the  bird  is  in  full  song 
during  the  spring  migration,  and  is  ordinarily, 
though  probably  not  invariably,  silent  in  the  fall. 

22.     OVEN  BIRD;    GOLDEN-CROWNED   THRUSH 

(JSeiurus  aurocapillns.) 

Upper  parts  uniform  olive-green  ;  crown  with  orange-brown  patch 
bordered  on  the  sides  with  black  ;  under  parts  white,  breast  and 
belly  marked  with  large  dark-brown  spots.  Beak  and  feet  pale. 
Bird  nearly  the  size  of  a  sparrow.  Sexes  similar. 

THIS"  pretty  and  attractive  lit.tle  bird  comes  to  us 
early  in  May,  and  leaves  us  again  in  late  Septem- 


Family  Mniotiltidce — Oven  Bird         69 

her.  He  may  be  found  in  almost  any  deep  wood, 
but  perhaps  prefers  pine  groves.  He  is  usually 
found  upon  the  ground,  and  may  be  readily  recog- 
nized from  his  habit  of  walking  instead  of  hopping, 
and  jerking  his  tail  up  and  down  as  he  goes. 

The  nest  is  placed  upon  the  ground  in  the  woods ; 
and  the  top  is  often  completely  roofed  over,  whence 
the  name  oven  bird.  Eggs  are  laid  about  the  first 
of  June. 

The  oven  bird  has  two  songs ;  the  first  is  a 
common  chant  delivered  from  the  ground  or  a  low 
bush,  which  resembles  the  words  "  teacher,  teacher, 
TEACHER,  TEACHER,  TEACHER,  TEACHER  !  " 
each  repetition  being  loudeV  and  more  energetic 
than  the  last.  This  song  may  be  heard  all  day 
long;  but  the  other  and  far  rarer  one  is  poured 
forth  usually  after  sundown,  and  while  quivering  in 
the  air.  Burroughs  thus  describes  it :  — 

Mti&tnting  by  easy  flights  to  the  top  of  the  tallest 
tree,  he  launches  into  the  air  with  a  sort  of  suspended,  ' 
hovering  flight,  like  certain  of  the  finches,  and  bursts 
into  a  perfect  ecstasy  of  song  —  clear,  ringing,  copi- 
ous, and  rivalling  the  goldfinch's  in  vivacity,  and  the 
linnet's  in  melody.  This  strain  is  one  of  the  rarest 
bits  of  bird  melody  to  be  heard,  and  is  oftenest  in- 
dulged in  late  in  the  afternoon  or  after  sundown*  I 
think  this  pre-eminently  his  love-song,  as  /  hear  it 
oftenest  about  the  mating  season. 


70  ~Land  Birds  of  New  England 

Bicknell  states  that  in  the  neighborhood  of  New 
York  the  song  is  continued  nearly  through  the 
month  of  July,  and  that  for  a  few  days,  somewhere 
between  the  ninth  of  August  and  the  fifth  of  Sep- 
tember, it  may  be  heard  again  in  the  early  morning 
hours,  though  at  this  season  it  never  reaches  the 
precision  and  vigor  of  the  true  spring  song. 

23.     PRAIRIE    WARBLER     (Dendroica  discolor.} 

Upper  parts  olivaceous;  back  with  a  patch  of  brick-red  spots; 
cheeks  and  under  parts  bright  yellow,  marked  along  the  sides 
with  black;  tail  with  white  blotches;  wing  with  two  very  in- 
distinct yellow  bars.  Beak  and  feet  slender,  light  brown.  Bird 
little  more  than  one  half  the  size  of  a  sparrow.  Sexes  similar. 

THIS  tiny  warbler  is  to  be  sought  in  rocky  pasture- 
lands  and  scrub,  where  it  may  be  found  from  mid- 
May  to  September.  It  is  one  of  the  most  retiring  . 
of  the  warblers,  and  would  be  likely  to  pass  un- 
noticed, but  for  its  flycatcher-like  habit  of  darting 
into  the  air  to  capture  passing  insects. 

The  nest  is  placed  in  a  bush  or  small  tree  only  a 
few  feet  from  the  ground.  It  usually  contains  eggs 
about  the  first  of  June. 

The  note  is  i'erv  quaint  and  characteristic ;  il  con- 
sists of  a  monotonous  and  prolonged  reiteration  of 
single  notes  ^  rising  in  tJie  scale  front  beginning  to  end, 
and  growing  louder  and  faster  as  it  proceeds.  » 

STEARNS  AND  COUES. 


Family  Mniotiltidce  —  Green  Warbler      7 1 

24.    BLACK-THROATED    GREEN  WARBLER 

(Dendroica  wrens.) 

Male,  in  summer:  upper  parts  yellow-olive,  dullest  on  rump; 
cheeks  yellow  ;  throat  and  breast  black  ;  remaining  under  parts 
whitish,  streaked  with  black  on  the  sides  ;  wings  and  tail  dark 
brown  ;  wing  with  two  white  bars  ;  tail  with  white  blotches. 
Beak  slender  and  dark ;  feet  dark.  Bird  rather  more  than  half 
the  size  of  a  sparrow.  Female  and  male  in  fall  plumage  :  sim- 
ilar, but  black  interrupted  or  obscured. 

THESE  charming  birds  are  to  be  found  especially 
among  pines.  They  begin  to  arrive  early  in  May, 
and  for  a  few  days  about  the  middle  of  the  month 
are  very  abundant,  after  which  time  a  large  propor- 
tion of  them  pass  northward.  A  considerable  num- 
ber, however,  spend  the  entire  summer,  leaving 
only  in  early  October. 

The  nest,  like  that  of  the  pine  warbler,  is  placed 
high  in  a  pine-tree,  near  the  end  of  a  bough,  and 
may  be  built  any  time  from  the  first  to  the  last  of 
June. 

The  song  is  said  by  Burroughs  to  consist  of  "  two 
sweet,  silvery  notes  in  the  same  pitch  of  voice  and 
quite  unaccented,  followed  by  notes  wherein  tone 
and  inflection  are  changed." 


72  Land  Birds  of  New  England 


25.     YELLOW   PALM   WARBLER 
YELLOW   RED-POLL 

(Dendroica  palmar  tun  hypochrysea.) 

Upper  parts  olive,  streaked  with  dark  on  head  and  neck,  becoming 
brighter  on  rump ;  under  parts  yellow,  somewhat  streaked 
with  dark  ;  wings  and  tail  dark,  tail  with  white  blotches.  Male 
in  spring  with  a  chestnut  cap.  Beak  and  feet  slender  and  dark. 
Bird  rather  less  than  two-thirds  the  size  of  a  sparrow.  Sexes 
similar. 

THE  yellow  palm  warbler  comes  to  us  in  late 
April,  spending  about  two  weeks  on  his  northward 
way,  and  appears  again  in  the  latter  part  of  Sep- 
tember. His  favorite  haunt  is  in  the  neighborhood 
of  a  swamp ;  but  he  may  also  be  found  about  bushy 
woodland  borders,  and  even  in  ploughed  land, 
gardens,  and  orchards.  They  are  usually  found  on 
the  ground  and  in  small  companies.  They  are 
most  readily  distinguished  from  other  wrarblers  by 
a  habit  of  jerking  or  flirting  the  tail,  especially 
when  on  a  perch. 

The  nest  is  said  to  be  placed  on  the  ground,  but 
the  bird  in  this  region  does  not  nest  south  of  Maine. 

The  notes  are  weak  and  not  characteristic. 


Family  Mniotiltidcz —  Pine    Warbler      73 


26.     PINE  WARBLER 

PINE  CREEPING  WARBLER 

(l)en  droica  vigor  sit. ) 

Male  :  upper  parts  yellow-olive  ;  wings  and  tail  brown,  wing  with 
two  light  or  white  bars,  tail  with  large  white  blotches  ;  throat 
and  breast  bright  yellow,  sometimes  obscurely  streaked  ;  belly 
white.  Female  :  similar  but  much  duller,  and  with  breast  more 
distinctly  marked,  "  sometimes  nearly  olive-gray  above  and 
sordid  whitish  below."  —  Coues.  Beak  long  and  slender,  dark 
in  male,  lighter  in  female;  feet  dark  brown  in  male,  light  brown 
in  female.  Bird  about  two-thirds  the  size  of  a  sparrow. 

THE  pine  warbler  is  the  first  of  the  warblers  to 
appear  in  the  spring.  He  arrives  early  in  April, 
and  leaves  again  only  late  in  September,  some- 
times even  lingering  into  October.  In  spring  and 
fall  he  may  be  found  in  mixed  woods,  but  in  the 
summer  he  is  to  be  sought  among  tall  pines.  In 
seeking  the  insects  on  which  he  lives  he  often 
scrambles  about  on  tree  trunks  and  among  the 
larger  branches,  somewhat  after  the  fashion  of 
a  creeper.  In  spring  and  fall,  however,  he  finds 
a  considerable  part  of  his  food  on  the  ground. 

The  nest  is  usually  placed  in  a  pine,  from  twenty 
to  fifty  feet  above  the  ground.  The  eggs  are  laid 
about  the  first  of  June.  The  song,  according  to 
Minot,  "  is  apparently  a  delicately  trilled  whistle, 
but  really  a  series  of  fine  notes,  as  is  proved  by  the 
fact  that  the  birds  open  and  shut  their  bills  whilst 
emitting  the  sound." 


74  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

27.    BLACKBURNIAN  WARBLER 

(Dendroica  blackburnice. ) 

Male :  upper  parts  black,  with  white  markings  on  wings  and  tail 
and  on  back ;  crown,  cheeks,  throat,  and  forebreast  flame- 
colored  ;  remaining  under  parts  yellow-white,  streaked  along 
the  sides  with  black.  Beak  slender,  dark.  Female :  upper 
parts  brownish  olive  streaked  with  black ;  throat  and  fore- 
breast  dull  orange  or  yellow  ;  remaining  under  parts  yellow- 
white  streaked  with  black  ;  wings  dusky,  with  two  white  bars  ; 
tail  with  large  white  blotches. 

THIS  exquisite  being  is  said  to  be  abundant  at 
times  among  spruces  and  hemlocks  and  in  mixed 
woods.  It  is,  however,  extremely  local,  and  I  am 
not  aware  that  it  is  to  be  found  in  Wellesley.  It 
passes  through  southern  New  England  in  late  mid- 
May  and  again  in  September,  although  a  few 
remain  to  breed  in  Massachusetts. 

The  nest  is  usually  placed  in  coniferous  woods, 
on  the  horizontal  bough  of  a  pine  or  hemlock,  at  a 
considerable  distance  from  the  ground. 

The  song  is  very  simple,  consisting  merely  of 
five  or  six  loud  notes. 


Family  Mniotiltidce  —  Chestnut-sided  Warbler  7 5 . 

28.     CHESTNUT-SIDED   WARBLER 

{Dendroica  pensylvanica . ) 

Upper  parts  streaked  with  black  and  pale  yellow  or  whitish  ; 
crown  clear  yellow,  bordered  on  each  side  with  black  which 
extends  down  into  a  small  patch  in  front  of  the  eye  ;  under 
parts  in  general  white,  but  the  sides  of  a  rich  reddish  brown  ; 
wings  and  tail  dusky,  tail  with  white  blotches,  wings  with  two 
white  bars  which  are  more  or  less  confluent.  Beak  slender, 
dark  ;  feet  brown.  Bird  about  two-thirds  the  size  of  a  sparrow. 
Sexes  similar,  save  that  the  female  is  duller,  and  may  want  the 
black  markings  on  the  head. 

THE  chestnut-sided  warbler  is  a  summer  resident, 
coming  to  us  early  in  May,  and  leaving  us  in  Sep- 
tember. During  migration  they  may  be  found  in 
open  mixed  woods  and  thickets  ;  for  the  summer 
they  retire  to  moist  woodlands  and  swampy  thick- 
ets. They  are  most  likely  to  be  met  at  the  time  of 
the  spring  migration. 

The  nest  is  placed  in  the  fork  of  a  bush  or  small 
tree ;  and  the  eggs  are  laid  about  the  first  of  June. 

The  song  is  simple ;  one  variation  is  almost 
exactly  like  the  song  of  the  yellow  warbler.  An- 
other consists  of  half  a  dozen  notes  each  higher 
than  the  preceding,  except  in  the  case  of  the  last, 
which  is  lower  than  the  one  preceding  it. 

LITERATURE  : 

Little  Brothers  of  the  Air.  —  OLIVE  THORNE  MILLER. 


Land  Birds  of  New  England 


29.    MAGNOLIA  WARBLER 

BLACK   AND   YELLOW   WARBLER 

(Dttidroica  maculosa.) 

Upper  parts  in  general  black,  often  more  or  less  mixed  with  olive  ; 
rump  yellow  ;  head  ash  ;  wings  dusky,  with  a  broad  white 
patch  across  them  ;  tail  black,  with  large  white  spots  on  the 
bases  of  the  feathers  ;  under  parts  bright  yellow,  all  except  the 
throat  and  the  very  middle  of  the  breast  heavily  streaked  with 
black.  Beak  and  feet  dark.  Bird  rather  less  than  two-thirds 
as  large  as  a  sparrow.  Sexes  similar,  save  that  the  black  of  the 
back  is  more  likely  to  be  mixed  with  olive  in  the  female. 

THE  magnolia  warbler  is  to  be  sought,  especially 
in  willow  thickets,  near  streams  and  other  damp 
places ;  but  they  frequent  also  orchards  and  wood- 
lands, especially  evergreens.  They  come  to  us  in 
the  latter  part  of  May,  and  remain  for  about  two 
weeks.  The  return  is  made  during  September,  and 
only  a  few  birds  pass  through  eastern  Massachu- 
setts, the  bulk  of  them  taking  a  more  westerly 
route. 

The  nest  is  usually  built  in  a  low  spruce,  "often 
only  a  few  feet  from  the  ground,  and  is  finished 
early  in  June. 

The  song  is  not  characteristic. 


Family  Mniotiltida — Myrtle  Warbler     77 

30.     MYRTLE  WARBLER 

YELLOW-RUMPED  WARBLER 

(  Dendroica  cor  on  at  a . ) 

Male:  upper  parts  in  general  slate-color  streaked  with  black; 
wings  and  tail  dusky,  wing  with  two  white  bars,  tail  with 
white  blotches ;  rump  and  crown  yellow ;  throat  and  belly 
white ;  breast  white,  heavily  marked  with  black,  and  with  a 
yellow  patch  on  each  side.  Beak  long,  slender,  black ;  feet 
black.  Bird  about  two-thirds  the  size  of  a  sparrow.  Sexes 
similar,  save  that  in  the  female  the  slate-color  is  sometimes 
quite  brownish. 

THIS  charming  bird  may  be  found  in  little  com- 
panies of  five  to  ten  among  shrubbery  and  orchards, 
and  on  the  edges  of  woods  and  swamps.  It  is  a 
migrant,  and  tarries  with  us  from  late  April  to  late 
May,  coming  again  in  the  latter  part  of  September 
for  a  stay  of  about  a  month.  At  these  times  it  is, 
perhaps,  the  most  abundant  of  all  the  warblers.  In 
the  spring  they  are  found  mostly  in  the  trees  ;  in 
the  autumn  they  are  more  upon  the  ground.  Ac- 
cording to  Minot  "they  may  generally  be  distin- 
guished at  a  distance  by  their  habit  of  being  much 
in  the  air,  and  of  taking  long  flights  (as  compared 
with  those  of  other  warblers)  at  quite  a  distance 
above  the  ground." 

Breeding  takes  place  in  the  higher  parts  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, in  the  White  Mountain  region,  and  far- 
ther north  ;  the  nest  is  usually  placed  in  a  bush. 


78  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

The  birds,  according  to  my  observation,  rarely 
sing  during  migration  ;  but  Minot  speaks  of  having 
often  heard  them  sing  in  May  throughout  the  day. 


31.     SUMMER  WARBLER ;     YELLOW  WARBLER 
GOLDEN  WARBLER 
SUMMER  YELLOW   BIRD 

{flendroica  cestiva.) 

Male  :  upper  parts  greenish  yellow,  becoming  pure  yellow  on  head  ; 
wings  and  tail  dusky,  each  feather  edged  with  yellow;  under 
parts  yellow,  breast  somewhat  streaked  with  orange-brown. 
Beak  long  and  slender,  almost  black  ;  feet  light  brown.  Bird 
rather  more  than  half  the  size  of  a  sparrow.  Female  :  similar, 
but  paler,  and  orange-brown  streakings  nearly  or  quite  wanting. 

THIS  beautiful  little  creature  is  to  be  found  every- 
where, in  woodlands,  parks,  gardens,  and  even  in 
city  streets ;  its  abundance,  brilliant  color,  and 
familiar  habits  make  it  one  of  the  best  known  of 
our  smaller  birds.  I  have  found  it  most  abundantly 
in  the  tops  of  willows  which  grow  on  the  swampy 
margin  of  a  lake.  It  comes  to  us  in  early  May, 
and  leaves  at  the  very  end  of  September. 

The  nest  may  be  placed  in  a  fruit  or  a  shade  tree, 
when  it  is  built  at  some  distance  from  the  ground  ; 
but  it  is  more  commonly  found  in  thickets,  in  low, 
moist  situations.  The  eggs  are  laid  about  the  first 
of  June. 


Family  Mniotiltidcz  —  Panda  Warbler     79 

The  song  is  simple  and  not  especially  character- 
istic. Minot  represents  it  by  the  syllables  wee-chee- 
wee-chee-wee-i-u.  He  sings  from  the  time  of  his 
arrival  to  his  departure,  but  less  frequently  after  the 
middle  of  July. 


32.       PARULA    WARBLER 

BLUE  YELLOW-BACKED  WARBLER 

(Compsothlypis  ai/iericana.) 

Upper  parts  in  general  gray-blue ;  back  with  greenish  yellow 
patch  ;  wing  with  two  white  bars  ;  tail  with  white  blotches  ; 
throat  and  forebreast  yellow  crossed  by  a  band  of  brown  ;  re- 
maining under  parts  white.  Beak  long  and  slender,  upper 
mandible  dark,  lower  one  light  ;  feet  horn  colored.  Bird  about 
half  the  size  of  a  sparrow.  Sexes  alike,  but  coloring  of  female 
less  pronounced,  and  brown  band  sometimes  almost  wanting. 

ABUNDANT  in  high,  open  woods,  parks,  and  gar- 
dens, where  the  greenish-gray  "  moss/'  Usnea  bar- 
bulata,  or  "  old  man's  beard,"  is  found.  During 
migration  it  is  one  of  the  most  numerous  of  all 
the  warblers,  and  it  is  abundant,  though  local,  all 
through  the  summer.  It  comes  to  us  in  May,  and 
disappears  in  September.  The  nest  is  globular, 
with  an  entrance  on  the  side,  and  is  almost  always 
built  in  a  bunch  of  Usnea.  It  is  usually  placed  in 
the  woods,  twenty  or  more  feet  from  the  ground, 
at  the  end  of  a  bough. 


8o  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

The  song,  like  that  of  most  warblers,  consists 
merely  of  a  few  faint  chirping  notes,  constantly 
uttered  while  the  bird  is  searching  for  its  food. 


33.     NASHVILLE   WARBLER 
{Helminthophila  ritficapilla . ) 

Male,  in  summer  plumage:  upper  parts  except  the  head  yellow- 
olive,  brightest  on  the  rump  ;  head  ashy,  with  an  inconspicuous 
crown  patch  of  chestnut ;  under  parts  bright  yellow.  Bill  long, 
slender,  dark  horn-color  ;  feet  slender,  brown.  Bird  about  half 
the  size  of  a  sparrow.  Female,  in  summer  plumage  :  similar, 
but  ash  of  head  less  clear,  and  crown  patch  more  obscure  or 
even  wanting. 

NOTE.  —  In  fall  the  ash  of  the  head  may,  in  both  sexes,  be  largely 
olivaceous. 

THE  Nashville  warbler,  although  quite  a  common 
bird,  especially  during  the  fall  migration,  is  so  in- 
conspicuous as  to  be  readily  overlooked.  In  spring 
and  fall  it  may  be  found  among  the  upper  branches 
in  the  bushy  borders  of  woods,  in  shrubbery  and 
orchards,  and  even  about  houses ;  but  in  summer  it 
prefers  high,  dry,  pine  woods  where  there  is  a  more 
or  less  dense  undergrowth.  It  is  common  about 
the  middle  of  May,  and  again  in  September ;  but 
a  comparatively  small  number  spend  the  entire 
summer  with  us. 


Family  Mniotiltidce —  Warbler  81 

The  nest  is  said  by  Minot  to  be  placed  on  the 
ground,  either  in  some  open  part  of  the  woods,  or 
amongst  the  shrubbery  of  some  southerly  facing 
bank  ;  and  the  eggs  are  laid  about  the  first  of  June. 

The  song  has  been  represented  by  the  syllables 
wee-see-wee-see-wit-a-wit-a-wit.  According  to  Wil- 
son it  is  not  easy  at  first  to  distinguish  the  sound 
from  that  produced  by  an  insect.  He  sings  regu- 
larly during  the  spring  migration,  but  not  in  the 
fall. 

34.    BLACK  AND  WHITE   WARBLER 

BLACK  AND   WHITE   CREEPING  WARBLER 

( Mn  iotilta  varia . ) 

Male:  mottled  black  and  white  both  above  and  below  ;  wing  with 
two  white  bars;  tail  with  white  blotches.  Beak  and  feet 
slender,  black.  Bird  about  two-thirds  the  size  of  a  sparrow. 
Female:  similar,  except  that  the  under  parts  are  almost  entirely 
white. 

THIS  active  little  bird  is  abundant  in  woodland 
regions,  and  at  migration  time  is  to  be  found  also 
in  gardens  and  orchards.  He  is  conspicuous  both 
from  his  lack  of  shyness,  and  from  his  habit  of 
scrambling  about  the  trunks  and  larger  branches 
of  trees,  whence  his  name  of  creeping  warbler.  He 
comes  to  us  in  early  May  and  remains  into  Sep- 
tember. 


82  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

The  nest  is  usually  placed  upon  the  ground  in  the 
woods,  but  is  occasionally  built  in  the  hole  of  a  tree. 
Eggs,  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston,  are  laid  about  the 
end  of  May. 

These  birds  are  said  by  Minot  to  utter  more  dis- 
tinct sounds,  exclusive  of  song,  than  any  other  of 
our  birds.  The  song  itself  is  almost  incessant, 
and  may  be  represented  by  the  syllables  chi-chi-chi- 
che-che-chee.  To  this  "  a  few  sweet  and  musical 
notes  are  generally  added  in  May  and  June."  - 
MINOT.  In  the  vicinity  of  New  York  song  ceases 
about  the  end  of  June,  or  occasionally  not  until 
the  end  of  July,  and  is  resumed  again  about  the 
middle  of  August  for  a  period  varying  from  a  few 
days  to  two  weeks. 


Fa)} lily    Virconidce —  Blue-Headed  Vireo     83 


FAMILY    VIREONID^E. 

35.    BLUE-HEADED   VIREO 
SOLITARY  VIREO 
BLUE-HEADED  OR  SOLITARY  GREENLET 

(Vireo  solitarius^) 

Upper  parts  olive-green,  passing  into  ash  on  the  head  ;  wings  and 
tail  brown  ;  wings  with  two  white  bars  ;  under  parts  in  general 
white ;  sides  of  breast  and  belly  greenish  yellow.  Beak  broad 
and  strong,  dark  ;  feet  dark.  Bird  about  two-thirds  the  size 
of  a  sparrow.  Sexes  similar. 

THE  solitary  vireo  may  be  distinguished  from 
other  vireos  at  a  glance  by  the  bluish  head.  It  is 
to.  be  sought  in  woodlands,  and  therefore,  though 
not  very  rare,  is  less  well  known  than  its  relatives. 
It  breeds  usually  in  northern  New  England ;  it 
passes  through  Massachusetts  on  its  way  north  in 
late  April  or  early  May,  and  returns  in  September 
or  early  October.  It  sometimes,  however,  remains 
to  breed  with  us. 

Its  nest  is  said  to  resemble  that  of  the  yellow- 
throated  vireo ;  it  is  always  built  in  the  woods, 
sometimes  in  swampy  ones. 

The  song  is  said  to  be  a  musical  mellow  warble, 
and  the  bird  sings  all  day  long.  This,  however,  is 


84  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

only  in  the  breeding  season  ;  during  migration  it  is 
usually  silent,  although  Bicknell  records  that  it 
sometimes  sings  both  in  the  spring  and  in  the  fall. 

LITERATURE  : 

A  Rambler's  Lease  (Art.  "A  Woodland  Intimate.")  — BRADFORD 

TORREY. 


36.    YELLOW-THROATED   VIREO 

YELLOW-THROATED   GREENLET 

(  Vireo  flavifrons . ) 

Upper  part  greeenish  olive,  shading  into  ash  on  the  rump  ;  wings 
and  tail  dark  brown  ;  throat  and  breast  yellow  ;  remaining  un- 
der parts  whitish.  Beak  long,  broad,  and  dark  ;  feet  dark.  Bird 
about  two-thirds  the  size  of  a  sparrow.  Sexes  similar. 

THE  yellow-throated  vireo  is  to  be  found  in  the 
very  tops  of  tall  trees  in  woods,  parks,  and  gardens ; 
he  is  said,  however,  to  be  a  local  bird.  He  comes 
in  early  May,  and  leaves  again  in  late  September. 

The  nest  is  placed  in  the  fork  of  a  horizontal 
branch  at  a  moderate  height,  sometimes  indeed  not 
more  than  three  feet  from  the  ground  ;  it  may  be 
found  either  in  the  woods  or  in  more  open  country. 

This  vireo  has  a  pleasant  song  which  begins  with 
clear  mellow  notes  that  have  some  resemblance  to 
the  syllables,  geery,  geery.  He  sings  with  especial 
vigor  in  the  warmest  weather,  and  like  some  of  the 


Family  Vireonidce  —  Warbling  Vireo       85 

other  vireos,  does  not  restrict  himself  to  morning 
and  evening  hours,  but  may  be  heard  even  at  noon- 
day. He  is  the  only  vireo  who  sings  on  the  wing; 
and  so  in  love  is  he  with  music  that  in  the  vicinity 
of  New  York  at  least,  he  does  not  intermit  his  mel- 
ody until  early  September,  while  even  after  this 
time  isolated  songs  may  still  be  heard. 

LITERATURE: 

Nesting  Habits  of  the  Yellow-throated  Vireo.  — Goss,  "The  Auk," 
Vol.  I. 


37.    WARBLING  VIREO ;  WARBLING  GREENLET 
(Vireo  gUvus.} 

Upper  parts  olive-green ;  under  parts  grayish  white  with  a  tinge 
of  yellow ;  a  narrow  white  line  above  eye,  which  does  not  run 
back  behind  it.  Beak  and  feet  dark.  Bird  distinctly  smaller 
than  a  sparrow.  Sexes  similar. 

THE  warbling  and  red-eyed  vireos  are  so  similar 
that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  distinguish  them  by 
the  eye  when  alive.  The  warbling  vireo  is,  how- 
ever, rather  smaller  than  his  brother,  and  is  a  far 
more  beautiful  singer.  He  may  be  sought  among 
the  higher  branches  of  roadside  trees,  where  he 
would  be  easily  overlooked  were  it  not  for  his 
music.  He  comes  to  us  in  early  May,  and  leaves 
again  in  early  September. 


86  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

The  nest  is  placed  in  an  open  pasture  or  shaded 
street,  suspended  from  the  fork  of  a  high  branch. 
The  poplar  and  maple  are  said  to  be  the  favorite 
trees.  Eggs  are  laid  early  in  June,  and  there  are 
sometimes  two  sets. 

The  song  is  exquisitely  sweet,  and  is  kept  up  all 
day  long  and  well  into  the  summer. 

Its  voice  is  not  strong,  and  many  birds  excel  it  in 
brilliancy  of  execution  ;  but  not  one  of  them  all  can 
rival  tJie  tenderness  and  softness  of  the  liquid  strains 
of  this  modest  vocalist.  .  .  .  The  warbling  vireo  for- 
sakes the  deptJis  of  tJie  woodland  for  the  park  and  or- 
chard and  shady  street,  where  it  glides  through  the 
foliage  of  the  tallest  trees,  the  unseen  messenger  of  rest 
and  peace  to  the  busy  and  dusty  haunts  of  men. 

COUES. 

Bicknell  states  that  in  the  region  of  New  York  the 
first  song-period  may  end  in  early  July,  or  may  be 
prolonged  to  mid-August.  A  second  period  begins 
in  early  September  or  the  very  end  of  Angust,  and 
lasts  for  about  a  week. 


Family  Vireonidce  —  Red-Eyed  Vireo       87 

38.    RED-EYED  VIREO  ;  RED-EYED  GREENLET 

(  Vireo  olivaceous.) 

Upper  parts  olive-green  ;  under  parts  grayish  white  ;  a  broad 
white  line  above  eye,  running  back  for  a  considerable  distance 
behind  it.  Beak,  and  feet  light  brown.  Bird  distinctly  smaller 
than  a  sparrow.  Sexes  similar. 

THE  red-eyed  vireo  is  the  most  common  of  all  the 
vireos.  The  distinction  between  him  and  the  war- 
bling vireo  has  already  been  discussed,  (see  above, 
No.  37).  He  is  to  be  sought  in  high,  open  woods, 
in  village  streets,  and  in  the  clusters  of  trees  in  the 
neighborhood  of  houses ;  he  does  not,  however, 
spend  his  time  so  exclusively  among  the  higher 
branches  as  does  his  brother.  He  comes  to  us 
early  in  May,  and  leaves  again  in  September. 

The  nest  is  built  at  a  moderate  height,  sometimes 
not  more  than  four  feet  from  the  ground  ;  it  is  hung 
.  from  a  fork,  usually  near  the  end  of  a  limb,  and  is 
placed  either  in  the  edge  of  the  woods  or  in  a  shade- 
tree.  The  eggs  are  laid  early  in  June,  and  there  are 
sometimes  two  sets. 

The  song  consists  of  a  few  notes  repeated  over 
and  over  again  with  little  change  or  intermission. 

o  o 

Indeed,  the  red-eyed  vireo  is  our  most  voluble  song- 
ster, keeping  up  his  simple  music  all  day  long  and 
all  summer  long.  It  "would  be  monotonous,  were 
it  not  for  its  wonderful  cheerfulness,  energy,  and 
animation.^  —  MINOT. 


Land  Birds  of  New  England 


FAMILY    LANIID^B. 

39.     NORTHERN   SHRIKE  ;  BUTCHERBIRD 

(Lanius  borealis.) 

Upper  parts  clear  gray,  growing  lighter  on  rump  ;  wings  and  tail 
dark  brown  with  white  markings  ;  under  parts  light  gray,  crossed 
by  fine  wavy  lines  of  dark  brown  ;  side  of  head  with  dark  bar 
below  and  behind  the  eye.  Beak  large,  strong,  and  hooked, 
horn-color  ;  feet  black.  Bird  a  little  larger  than  a  robin.  Sexes 
similar,  save  that  in  the  female  the  gray  has  a^more  or  less 
brownish  tinge. 

THE  butcherbird  comes  to  us  as  a  very  irregu- 
lar but  rather  common  winter  visitor,  and  may  be 
looked  for  any  time  between  the  first  of  November 
and  the  first  of  April.  He  may  be  found  in  any 
locality,  perched  usually  on  some  point  which  gives 
him  a  good  outlook,  such  as  a  telegraph  pole  or  the 
top  of  a  hedge.  He  owes  his  name  to  his  habit  of 
chasing  and  killing  small  birds,  which  he  ordinarily 
impales  on  thorns  or  sharp  twigs,  and  which  he  usu- 
ally, though  by  no  means  always,  returns  to  devour. 

Breeding  takes  place  only  beyond  the  northern 
limits  of  New  England,  and  the  nest  is  built  in  a 
bush  or  a  low  tree. 

The  bird  with  us  is  ordinarily  silent ;  but  Thomp- 
son remarks  that  "  in  the  warm  days  of  March  he 
may  be  heard  singing  on  the  top  of  some  tall  tree, 
a  song  that  would  do  credit  to  a  catbird,"  and 
Brewster  likens  his  music  to  that  of  the  thrasher. 

LITERATURE: 

Locusts  and  Wild  Honey,     (Art,  "Birds  and  Birds.")  — BURROUGHS. 


Family  Ampelidce — Cedar  Waxwing      89 


FAMILY 

40.     CEDAR   WAXWING;  CEDARBIRD 

CHERRYBIRD 

(  A  mpelis  cedrorum . ) 

Head  brown  both  above  and  below,  shading  into  ash  on  wings  and 
tail,  and  into  yellow  on  the  belly.  A  black  band  runs  across 
the  base  of  the  bill,  and  back  through  the  eye.  There  is  a  crest ; 
though,  as  the  bird  may  depress  it,  it  is  not  always  noticeable. 
Bill  and  feet  medium,  dark.  Bird  about  half  way  in  size  be- 
tween a  robin  and  a  sparrow.  Sexes  alike. 

THESE  birds  are  very  irregular  in  their  move- 
ments ;  but  one  may  look  with  most  hope  of  finding 
them  among  cedars,  junipers,  mountain-ash,  and  es- 
pecially cherry-trees,  as  the  fruits  of  these  different 
trees  attract  them,  serving  them  as  food.  They 
move  in  small  flocks,  except  at  the  breeding-season, 
when  they  are  in  pairs.  They  may  be  found  at  any 
time  during  the  year,  but  are  most  abundant  in  the 
warmer  months. 

The  nest  is  usually  placed  in  an  orchard-tree  or 
a  cedar,  at  a  moderate  height  above  the  ground. 
Eggs  are  laid  in  late  June  or  early  July. 

They  have  no  proper  song,  only  a  faint  lisping 
note  ;  but  their  dainty  costume,  and  their  exquisite 
courtesy  one  to  another,  render  them  more  inter- 
esting than  many  a  vocalist. 


90  Land  Birds  of  New  England 


FAMILY  HIRUNDINID^E. 
41.     BANK    SWALLOW     (Clivicola  riparia.) 

Upper  parts  dull  brown,  wings  and  tail  somewhat  darker ;  under 
parts  grayish  white,  with  a  band  of  brown  across  the  breast. 
Beak  and  feet  very  small,  black.  Bird  about  two-thirds  as  large 
as  a  sparrow.  Sexes  similar. 

THE  bank  swallow  may  be  sought  between  the 
first  of  May  and  the  first  of  September  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  sandy  banks.  He  never  wanders  far  from 
hi^  home  ;  and  as  the  ground  in  which  he  builds 
must  be  such  as  will  not  cave  in,  this  habit  renders 
him  more  local  than  he  would  otherwise  be. 

This  swallow  is  the  only  one  of  the  family  which 
still  retains  its  old  nesting  habits.  It  builds  at  the 
end  of  a  burrow  which  it  digs  out  in  a  sandbank, 
usually  preferring  the  vicinity  of  water,  but  some- 
times choosing  a  railway  or  road  cutting.  The  bird 
is  the  most  sociable  of  all  our  swallows  ;  communi- 
ties of  three  or  four  hundred  sometimes  live  to- 
gether. Eggs  are  laid  in  the  latter  part  of  May, 
and  there  are  two  sets. 

The  bank  swallows  are  ordinarily  more  silent 
than  other  swallows,  having  only  a  few  low  twitter- 
ing notes. 


Family  Hirundinidce — Tree  Swallozv     91 


42.     TREE   SWALLOW 

WHITE-BELLIED   SWALLOW 

(Tachycineta  bicolor.) 

Jpper  parts  metallic  blue-green  ;  wings  and  tail  dark  brown  ;  under 
parts  pure  white.  Beak  weak,  black;  feet  small,  dark.  Bird 
rather  smaller  than  a  sparrow.  Sexes  alike,  but  female  some- 
what less  lustrous. 

THE  tree  swallow  comes  to  us  in  early  April,  and 
remains  until  early  October.  He  is  to  be  found 
in  cultivated  districts,  and  sometimes  in  wild  ones 
as  well.  He  is  especially  common  near  water,  for 
he  obtains  much  of  his  food  from  the  insects  which 
are  most  abundant  in  such  regions.  Maynard  re- 
marks that  they  gather  "  upon  the  salt  marshes 
during  the  latter  part  of  August  and  first  of  Sep- 
tember, literally  by  millions."  They  are  less  peace- 
able than  other  swallows  ;  and,  according  to  Wilson, 
they  frequently  fight  in  the  air  for  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  at  a  time,  particularly  in  the  spring,  all  the  while 
keeping  up  a  low,  rapid  chatter.  If  kindly  treated, 
they  will  become  extremely  tame,  and  the  same  pair 
ivill  return  year  after  year  to  the  same  premises. 

The  nest  is  ordinarily  built  in  a  bird-box,  though 
in  sparsely  settled  districts  they  still  keep  to  the 
primitive  habit  of  nesting  in  a  hollow  tree.  Eggs 


92  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

are  laid  in  the  latter  part  of   May,  and  there  are 
usually  two  sets.     The  first  nest  is  thoroughly  re- 
paired, and  used  for  the  second  brood. 
The  notes  are  merely  a  rapid  chatter. 

LITERATURE: 

Little  Brothers  of  the  Air.  —OLIVE  THORNE  MILLER. 
The  Footpath  Way.     (Art.  "The  Passing  of  the  Birds.")  — BRAD- 
FORD TORREY. 


43.     BARN   SWALLOW     (Chelidon  erythrogaster.*) 

Upper  parts  deep  steel-blue;  wings  and  tail  blackish,  the  latter 
with  white  spots ;  under  parts  chestnut,  generally  deepest  on 
throat.  Wings  very  long ;  tail  deeply  forked.  Beak  and  feet 
black,  weak.  Bird  nearly  as  large  as  a  sparrow.  Sexes  alike, 
but  color  of  female  less  intense. 

THE  barn  swallow,  as  its  name  implies,  is  to  be 
found  chiefly  in  the  neighborhood  of  barns  and 
other  outhouses,  especially  about  those  which  have 
openings  in  the  gables  to  permit  passage,  and  rough 
rafters  suitable  for  the  attachment  of  nests.  Like 
all  swallows,  they  are  readily  recognizable  from  the 
sustained,  skimming  flight ;  and  this  species  may 
be  easily  distinguished  from  all  others  by  the  deeply 
forked  tail,  a  characteristic  which  is  wanting  to  the 
young.  They  come  to  us  in  late  April,  and  leave  in 
early  September.  "  The  dandelion  tells  me  when 
to  look  for  the  swallow."  —  BURROUGHS. 


Family  Hirundinidce — Purple  Martin    93 

The  nest  is  now  placed  on  the  beams  or  rafters 
of  a  barn  or  other  similar  building,  although  "  swal- 
low cave  "  at  Nahant  recalls  the  fact  that  other 
places  were  once  utilized  for  this  purpose.  Eggs 
are  laid  in  late  May.  There  are  often  two  sets. 

The  note  is  a  twitter,  often  uttered  by  the  bird 
when  on  the  wing.  Bicknell  describes  it  as  "  a  low 
chattering  trill,  often  terminating  with  a  clear  liquid 
note,  with  an  accent  as  of  interrogation." 

LITERATURE: 

A   Naturalist's  Rambles.     (Art.  "Do  Swallows   Hibernate?")  — 
C.  C.  ABBOTT. 

44.     PURPLE   MARTIN 

(  Progne  sub  is . ) 

Male:  intense  metallic  steel-blue,  both  above  and  below,  in  old 
birds  almost  black ;  wings  and  tail  blackish  with  blue  reflec- 
tions. Wings  very  long.  Beak  and  feet  weak,  dark.  Bird  con- 
siderably larger  than  a  sparrow.  Female :  upper  parts  dark 
brown  with  bluish  tinge  ;  under  parts  grayish  brown  mottled 
with  darker  ;  wings  and  tail  dusky. 

THE  purple  martin  maybe  found  especially  in  the 
neighborhood  of  water,  or  skimming  over  its  sur- 
face in  search  of  the  insects  on  which  it  feeds.  Like 
all  the  swallows,  it  is  constantly  on  the  wing,  and  its 
sustained,  graceful  flight  —  "  skating  on  the  air  " 
serves  at  once  to  mark  it  as  a  member  of  the  swal- 


94  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

low  family.     It  comes  to  us  in  early  May,  and  stays 
until  late  August. 

The  nest  is  invariably  built  in  a  bird-house.  Eggs 
are  laid  near  the  end  of  May,  and  there  are  occa- 
sionally two  sets. 

His  usual  note,  peuo  peuo  peuo,  is  loud  and  musi- 
cal;  but  is  frequently  succeeded  by  others  more  low  and 
guttural.  —  WILSON. 


Family  Tanagridce  —  Scarlet   Tanager.     95 

FAMILY  TANAGRID^J 
45.     SCARLET   TANAGER      (Piranga  erythromelas .) 

Male,  in  summer  plumage  :  scarlet  body  ;  black  wings  and  tail. 
Female  and  male  in  fall  plumage  :  olive-green  above  ;  greenish 
yellow  below  ;  wings  and  tail  dusky,  edged  with  olive  green. 
Beak  large  and  strong,  horn-colored  ;  feet  rather  delicate,  some- 
what darker  than  beak.  Bird  about  halfway  in  size  between  a 
robin  and  a  sparrow. 

THE  tanager  is  a  rather  shy  bird,  which  frequents 
the  deeper  parts  of  the  woods.  It  is  found  in  mixed 
woods  and  in  oak  growth.  It  comes  to  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Boston  in  the  latter  part  of  May,  and 
leaves  early  in  September. 

The  nest  is  usually  placed  in  an  oak-tree,  from 
ten  to  thirty  feet  above  the  ground.  Eggs  are  laid 
about  the  first  of  June. 

The  song  is  said  to  be  loud,  clear,  and  flute-like, 
resembling  "  somewhat  that  of  a  robin  in  its  modu- 
lations, but  shriller  in  tone,  more  hurried,  and 
enunciated  in  a  peculiar  wavering  style.7'  It  is, 
however,  rarely  heard ;  for  the  bird  sings  but  a  few 
weeks,  and  then  only  on  warm,  bright  days. 

LITERATURE  : 

Upland  and  Meadow.  —  C.  C.  ABBOTT. 

In  Nesting-Time. — OLIVE  THORNE  MILLER. 

Little  Brothers  of  the  Air.  — IBID, 


96  Land  Birds  of  New  England 


FAMILY  FRINGILLID^E 

46.     ENGLISH   SPARROW;   HOUSE   SPARROW 

{Passer  dottiest  icus . ) 

Male  :  upper  parts  gray  streaked  with  black  and  bay  ;  top  of  head 
gray,  sides  chestnut  ;  wing  with  white  bar  ;  under  parts  gray  ; 
throat  with  black  patch  which  extends  back  upon  the  forebreast. 
Beak  strong,  conical,  brown  ;  feet  brown.  Bird  about  five  and 
a  half  inches  long  from  top  of  head  to  tip  of  tail.  Female  :  color 
in  general  similar  but  duller;  the  sides  of  the  head  are  gray 
instead  of  chestnut,  and  the  throat  is  of  the  same  color  as  the 
other  under  parts. 

THIS  well-known  bird  is  to  be  found  only  too 
commonly  about  the  streets  of  towns  and  cities.  It 
is  most  abundant  and  most  easily  watched  in  win- 
ter, when  flocks  of  them  are  attracted  to  horse  drop- 
pings for  the  sake  of  the  undigested  seeds  to  be 
found  therein.  A  melancholy  interest  attaches  to 
its  gradual  extension,  not  only  westward,  but  into 
the  more  sparsely  settled  parts  of  the  East.  A  few 
years  ago,  though  abundant  in  the  village,  they 
were  not  to  be  found  in  the  grounds  of  the  college  ; 
while  they  are  now  sadly  plentiful  there.  The  birds 
are  active,  intelligent,  and  wary,  and  although  very 
quarrelsome,  seem  to  have  some  feeling  for  their 
kind.  Mr.  W.  T.  Hill  tells  of  an  experience  when 
he  was  trying  to  net  sparrows.  One  of  them  es- 


Family  Fringillidce —  Indigo  Bunting     97 

caped  and  remained  near,  so  that  "  on  the  approach 
of  other  birds,  by  cries  of  alarm,  or  by  flying  with 
them  and  leading  them  away,  it  succeeded  in  keep- 
ing almost  every  bird  from  the  net."  This  lasted 
for  upwards  of  an  hour,  until  finally  the  little  crea- 
ture was  shot. 

Nests  are  built  about  houses,  behind  blinds,  in 
street-lamps,  and  other  similar  places.  They  are 
said  to  begin  nests  even  in  the  winter.  There  are 
four  to  six  broods  in  a  year,  and  five  or  six  young 
in  a  brood. 

The  only  notes  are  the  chirps  and  twitterings 
which  may  be  heard  almost  constantly. 

LITERATURE  : 

Birdways.  —  OLIVE  THORNE  MILLER. 


47.     INDIGO   BUNTING;  INDIGO-BIRD 

{Passerina  cyanea.) 

Male :  metallic  greenish  blue  above  and  below  ;  wings  and  tail 
dark,  nearly  black  ;  bill  conical ;  upper  mandible  dark,  lower 
one  horn-colored  ;  feet  black.  Bird  about  two-thirds  the  size  of 
a  sparrow.  Female :  upper  parts  olive-brown ;  under  parts 
whitish  brown  streaked  with  darker;  wings  dusky. 

THIS  brilliant  little  bird  may  be  found  on  the 
edges  of  woods,  and  even  in  trees  along  the  road- 
side. It  is,  however,  not  easy  to  observe,  owing  to 


98  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

its  habit  of  keeping  in  the  top  of  a  high  tree  when 
singing.  Wilson  speaks  of  finding  it  frequently 
perched  on  fences,  but  I  have  been  less  fortunate. 
The  bird  comes  to  us  in  mid-May,  and  leaves  in 
late  September. 

The  nest  is  built  in  bushes  or  open  shrubbery, 
usually  "  in  the  centre  of  a  low,  thick  bush."  In 
one  instance,  at  least,  the  same  nest  was  repaired, 
and  used  for  a  succession  of  years.  Eggs  are  laid 
about  the  end  of  May. 

The  indigo-bird  sings  all  day,  and  continues  his 
song  nearly  or  quite  through  July. 

Its  song  is  not  one  continued  strain^  but  a  repetition 
of  sJiort  notes,  commencing  loud  and  rapid,  and  fall- 
ing^ by  almost  imperceptible  gradations^  for  six  or 
eight  seconds,  till  tliey  seem  Jiardly  articulate,  as  if  t)ie 
little  -minstrel  ivere  quite  exhausted;  and,  after  a 
pause  of  half  a  minute  or  less,  commences  again  as 
before.  — WILSON. 


Family  Fringillidce  —  Grosbeak  99 

48.     ROSE-BREASTED   GROSBEAK 

(Habia  Indoviciana.) 

Male :  upper  parts  in  the  main  black,  often  mottled  with  flaxen  ; 
rump  white  ;  tail  and  wings  dark,  variegated  with  white  ;  under 
parts  white  ;  breast  with  a  rose  spot  about  the  size  of  a  half- 
dollar ;  under  surface  of  wings  rosy.  Beak  extremely  large, 
conical,  light  horn  color  ;  feet  medium  size,  dark.  Bird  con- 
siderably larger  than  a  sparrow.  Female  :  upper  parts  blackish 
brown  streaked  with  olive  and  flaxen  ;  head  with  a  median 
white  line,  and  one  over  each  eye ;  under  parts  impure  white, 
marked  with  dark  brown  spots  ;  under  surface  of  wings  saffron- 
yellow. 

THIS  beautiful  bird  is  found  in  heavily  timbered 
regions,  particularly  near  the  water.  It  is  said  to  be 
especially  fond  of  dense  undergrowth.  I  have  usu- 
ally found  it  in  the  very  tops  of  tall  oak-trees.  It 
comes  to  us  in  mid-May,  and  leaves  in  early  Sep- 
tember. 

The  nests  may  be  found  in  very  various  locations, 
in  pasture  lands,  in  damp  woods,  in  trees  or  shrub- 
bery of  parks  or  gardens.  They  are  usually  placed 
at  a  moderate  height  above  the  ground.  Eggs  are 
laid  commonly  about  the  first  of  June. 

It  is  one  of  our  richest  and  most  beautiful  song- 
sters, and  is  one  of  the  few  birds  which  occasionally 
sing  at  night.  In  the  vicinitv  of  New  York  song 
continues  until  mid- August. 


IOO          Land  Birds  of  New  England 

LITERATURE: 

A  Naturalist's  Rambles.  —  C.  C.  ABBOTT. 

In  Nesting-Time.  —  OLIVE  THORNE  MILLER. 

A  Rambler's  Lease  (Art.   "A  Bird's-Nest  Hunter.") — BRADFORD 

TORREY. 


49.    TOWHEE;    CHEWINK 

SWAMP  ROBIN;   GROUND   ROBIN 

(Pipilo  erythrophthalm us . ) 

Male:  upper  parts  black,  wings  and  tail  marked  with  white; 
throat  and  forebreast  black  ;  remaining  part  of  breast  and  belly 
white  in  the  middle  and  chestnut  at  the  sides.  Beak  large, 
conical,  black  ;  feet  horn  color.  Bird  about  half  way  in  size 
between  a  robin  and  a  sparrow  ;  tail  very  long.  Female  :  upper 
parts  brown,  wings  and  tail  marked  with  white  ;  throat  and 
forebreast  brown  ;  remaining  part  of  breast  and  belly  white  in 
the  middle  and  chestnut  at  the  sides.  Rather  smaller  than 
male. 

THE  towhee  arrives  about  the  first  of  May,  and 
remains  until  early  October.  He  may  be  sought  in 
marshy  thickets,  where  he  is  most  likely  to  be  found 
scratching  the  ground,  or  overturning  the  leaves  in 
search  of  insects,  somewhat  as  does  a  hen.  They 
are  rather  shy  birds,  and  it  is  not  always  easy  to  get 
a  sight  of  them. 

The  nest  is  placed  on  the  ground  in  low,  wet 
woods,  or  in  scrub,  i.e.,  bushy  second  growth,  con- 
sisting chiefly  of  oaks  and  birches.  Eggs  are  laid 
about  the  end  of  May. 


Family  Fringillidce —  Fox  Sparrow     IOI 

The  ordinary  note  sounds  much  like  chewink  or 
tow/tee.  In  addition,  the  males  are  said  to  have  a 
sweet,  simple  song.  In  the  region  of  New  York 
they  begin  to  sing  only  in  late  April,  some  time  after 
their  arrival,  and  they  cease  at  latest  by  mid- August, 
more  commonly  about  the  end  of  July.  The  che- 
wink note  also  is  weak  and  infrequent  in  late  sum- 
mer, and  may  even  be  intermitted  for  a  time,  but  is 
resumed  again  before  departure. 


50.     FOX  SPARROW 

(  Passer  el  la  iliac  a . ) 

Upper  parts  ash,  heavily  mottled  with  bright  rust-brown ;  wing 
with  two  whitish  bars  ;  under  parts  white  marked  with  large, 
rust-brown  spots.  Beak  conical,  brown  above,  yellowish  below; 
feet  light  brown.  Bird  distinctly  larger  than  an  English  spar- 
row. Sexes  similar. 

THIS  large  and  handsome  sparrow  comes  to  us 
late  in  March,  and  tarries  until  the  beginning  of 
May,  when  he  goes  on  to  his  northern  summer 
home  ;  he  is  with  us  again  in  the  fall,  coming  in  late 
October,  and  staying  occasionally  even  into  Decem- 
ber. He  is  to  be  sought  on  the  edges  of  wood- 
land, especially  in  the  neighborhood  of  water ;  but 
in  the  fall  frequents  also  dry  regions,  and  some- 
times open  fields.  He  spends  much  of  his  time  on 
the  ground,  seeking  seeds  and  such  food  as  he  finds 


IO2  Land  Birds  of  JVew  England 

beneath  the  fallen  leaves  ;  and  he  has  the  habit  of 
scratching  among  them  much  like  a  hen,  although, 
unlike  a  hen,  he  manages  to  scratch  with  both  feet 
at  once.  When  frightened  he  usually  takes  to  the 
trees. 

The  russet  groundbird  bold 
With  both  slim  feet  at  once  will  lightly 
rake  the  mold. —  SILL. 

Breeding  takes  place  in  the  regions  about  Hud- 
son's Bay  and  farther  north.  The  nest  is  placed 
amid  moss  or  on  a  low  bush. 

The  song  is  one  of  the  very  best  of  all  the  spar- 
row songs.  It  may  often  be  heard  in  the  early  morn- 
ing in  April,  and  less  frequently  in  the 'fall.  Minot 
remarks  that  it  is  sometimes  abridged  to  a  sweet 
warble,  to  which  twitters  are  occasionally  added. 

It  is  said  that  they  sing  during  migration  only 
when  present  in  considerable  numbers. 

51.     SWAMP   SPARROW     (Melospiza  georgiana.) 

Upper  parts  streaked  with  bay,  black,  and  flaxen,  brown  of  wings 
and  tail  especially  reddish  ;  head  with  broad  gray  line  above  the 
eye;  under  parts  ash-gray  obscurely  mottled  and  passing  into 
olive-brown  on  the  sides  of  the  belly.  Beak  conical,  dark  brown  ; 
feet  brown.  Bird  a  little  smaller  than  an  English  sparrow. 
Sexes  similar. 

THIS  shy  little  bird  comes  to  us  in  early  April, 
and  remains  until  the  end  of  October,  or  even  early 


Family  Fringilli dee  —  Swamp  Sparrow     103 

November,  and  he  has  been  known  even  to  pass 
the  winter  here.  Although  a  common  bird,  he  is 
so  retiring  in  his  habits  as  to  be  little  known.  He 
should  be  sought,  as  his  name  implies,  in  wet  lands ; 
and  he  prefers  those  overgrown  with  bushes.  He 
spends  much  of  his  time  upon  the  ground,  often 
scratching  among  the  leaves  or  wading  in  shallow 
water. 

The  nest  is  placed  commonly  in  a  tussock  of 
grass,  but  occasionally  on  a  low  bush.  Eggs  are 
laid  near  the  end  of  May,  and  there  are  usually  two 
sets. 

The  song  is  said  by  Minot  to  resemble  that  of  the 
catbird.  They  have  also  a  sweet,  clear  trill,  often 
heard  in  the  spring,  and  a  low  warble.  They  sing 
chiefly  in  the  cooler  hours,  especially  in  the  evening, 
often  continuing  their  music  until  it  is  almost  dark. 
In  the  region  of  New  York  there  are  two  song- 
periods  :  one  beginning  in  late  April,  and  continu- 
ing until  mid-August  or  early  September ;  and  a 
second  extending  from  mid-September  to  early  or 
middle  October.  In  this  second  period,  song  is  by 
no  means  general,  and  is  confined  to  early  morn- 
ing, but  is  more  varied  and  ambitious  than  in  the 
spring. 


IO4  Land  Birds  of  New  England 


52.     SONG   SPARROW     (Melospiza  fasciata.) 

Upper  parts  gray,  streaked  with  brown  and  black  ;  under  parts 
grayish  white,  thickly  marked  on  breast  and  sides  of  belly  with 
distinct  blackish  brown  spots,  some  of  which  usually  run  to- 
gether to-  form  a  larger  one  in  the  centre  of  the  breast.  Beak 
conical,  brown  ;  feet  light  brown.  Bird  a  little  smaller  than  an 
English  sparrow.  Sexes  similar. 

THIS  charming,  abundant,  and  well-known  song- 
ster- comes  to  us  about  the  middle  of  March,  and 
lingers  until  late  October.  Not  infrequently  he 
spends  the  entire  year  in  this  region,  although  his 
increased  shyness  through  the  winter  months  ren- 
ders him  less  familiar  at  that  season.  He  may  be 
sought  especially  on  low  ground,  in. the  neighbor- 
hood of  streams  or  other  water.  He  is  often  on 
the  ground,  and  when  perched  is  usually  not  very 
far  above  it.  In  fall  he  associates  with  other  birds 
of  his  own  and  other  kinds,  and  is  then  often  to  be 
found  upon  dryer  ground. 

The  nest  is  placed  on  the  ground  or  in  a  low 
bush.  Eggs  are  laid  early  in  May,  and  there  are 
two  or  even  three  broods.  To  accomplish  this  task 
in  the  limited  time  at  their  disposal,  the  male  often 
builds  the  nest  for  a  new  brood  while  his  mate  is 
still  caring  for  the  present  babies. 

The  song  is  most  readily  recognized  from  its  re- 


Family  Fringillidce — Slate-colored  Junco  105 

semblance  to  that  of  the  canary;  it  has,  however, 
many  variations  so  different  that  they  might  well  be 
attributed  to  several  different  species.  The  song 
sparrow  is  one  of  our  very  early  spring  songsters, 
coining  next  after  the  bluebird.  In  the  neighbor- 
hood of  New  York  he  begins  about  the  middle  of 
February,  and  continues  with  varying  vigor  into 
November,  sometimes  to  the  very  end  of  the  month. 
In  the  beginning  his  song  is  feeble  and  indetermi- 
nate, but  by  early  March  it  acquires  its  full  tone. 

LITERATURE  : 

A  Year  with  the  Birds.  — WILSON  FLAGG. 


53.     SLATE-COLORED  JUNCO  ;  BLACK  SNOWBIRD 

(  Jn  n  co  Jiyeni  a  Us . ) 

Upper  parts,  throat  and  breast  blackish  ash  ;  tail  with  white  outer 
feathers;  belly  white,  its  sides  shaded  with  ashy.  Beak  coni- 
cal, flesh  color;  feet  light  brown.  Bird  about  the  size  of  a  spar- 
row, but  with  longer  tail.  Sexes  similar,  save  that  in  the  female 
the  ash  has  a  brownish  tinge. 

THIS  well-known  little  bird  may  be  recognized  at 
once  from  the  dark  color  and  the  white  outer  tail 
feathers.  The  sudden  change  from  the  slate;  of  the 
breast  to  the  white  of  the  belly  suggests  the  fancy 
that  he  was  sitting  on  his  nest  "  when  God  painted 
him."  He  comes  to  us  in  September,  and  remains 


io6          Land  Birds  of  New  England 

until  May.  He  is  stated  to  be  common  in  winter 
only  with  the  snow  or  just  before  storms;  I  have 
been  more  fortunate,  however,  in  finding  him  in 
comparatively  mild  weather.  He  spends  his  time 
chiefly  on  the  ground,  and  should  be  sought  in  stub- 
ble fields,  edges  of  woodland,  and  especially  on 
roadsides.  He  can  readily  be  attracted  to  the  door- 
yard  by  grain  or  crumbs,  although  he  is  easily  star- 
tled, and  ready  to*  fly  to  the  protection  of  shrubbery. 
Snowbirds  usually  come  in  small  flocks,  often  ac- 
companied by  sparrows  ;  when  on  the  ground  they 
have  a  characteristic  habit  of  constantly  opening 
and  shutting  the  tail.  They  are  said  to  be  quarrel- 
some, but  my  observation  does  not  lead  me  to  agree 
with  this  statement. 

Breeding  takes  place  in  the  higher  parts  of  west- 
ern Massachusetts,  in  the  White  Mountains,  and 
farther  north.  The  nest  is  usually  placed  upon  the 
ground,  rarely  in  a  bush.  Eggs  are  laid  about  the 
first  of  June. 

The  snowbirds  have  in  spring  "  a  great  variety  of 
twitters,  trills,  and  even  tinkling  sounds,  which  are 
often  so  combined  as  to  form  a  lively  song."  Their 
chirp  tjiey  utter  particularly  as  they  take  to  flight. 
There  are  two  distinct  songs  ;  a  simple  trill  some- 
what like  that  of  the  chipping  sparrow,  and  a  faint 
whispering  warble,  usually  much  broken  but  not 


Family  Fringillidce — Field  Sparrow     107 

without  sweetness,  and  sometimes  continuing  inter- 
mittently for  many  minutes.  Singing  is  most  com- 
mon in  March,  but  may  be  heard  at  other  times, 
least  frequently  in  the  fall. 


54.     FIELD   SPARROW     (Spizella  puszlla.) 

Upper  parts  gray,  streaked  with  bay,  black,  and  a  very  little  flaxen  ; 
crown  dull  chestnut;  under  parts  gray,  tinged  more  or  less  with 
lusty  ;  wing  with  two  white  bars.  Bill  conical,  brown  ;  feet 
brown.  Bird  not  much  more  than  two  thirds  the  size  of  an 
English  sparrow.  Sexes  similar. 

THIS  common,  but  retiring,  little  sparrow  comes  to 
us  in  late  April,  and  leaves  in  late  October.  North 
of  Massachusetts  he  is  rather  rare,  but  with  us  he 
may  easily  be  found  by  seeking  him  in  dry,  bushy 
fields,  wood  edges,  and  open  pastures.  He  is  much 
upon  the  ground,  and  when  perched  is  usually  not 
far  away  from  it.  During  most  of  the  season  he  is 
content  with  the  society  of  his  family,  but  in  fall  he 
joins  his  mate  and  other  small  birds  in  a  loose  flock. 
As  he  associates  much  at  this  season  with  chipping 
sparrows,  it  is  a  particularly  good  time  for  learning 
to  distinguish  him  from  this  very  similar  sparrow. 
On  comparing  the  two,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  vari- 
ous colors  of  the  field  sparrow  are  duller,  that  the 
beak  is  light  instead  of  black,  that  the  chestnut 
cap  is  not  bordered  on  each  side  by  a  gray,  and 


IO8  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

this  again  by  a  black  line,  and  finally  that  the 
under  parts  are  of  a  more  or  less  rusty  ash,  instead 
of  being  clear  ash  as  are  those  of  the  chipping 
sparrow. 

The  nest  is  placed  in  a  field  or  bushy  woodland, 
either  on  the  ground  or  in  a  low  bush.  Eggs  are 
laid  in  the  latter  part  of  May,  and  there  are  two 
sets. 

The  song  is  very  sweet.  According  to  Minot  they 
open  with  a  few  exquisitely  modulated  whistles,  each 
higher  and  a  very  little  louder  than  the  preceding, 
and  close  with  a  sweet  trill. 

They  sing  at  various  hours  of  the  day,  but  most 
often  in  the  early  morning  and  toward  evening. 
Song  continues  in  the  region  of  New  York  from  the 
time  of  arrival  to  mid-August,  and  there  is  no  second 
song-period. 

55.     CHIPPING    SPARROW;    SOCIAL   SPARROW 
HAIRBIRD 


Upper  parts  gray,  streaked  with  black  and  bay  ;  crown  chestnut, 
bordered  on  either  side  by  a  gray  line  and  this  again  by  a  black 
line  which  passes  through  the  eye  ;  under  parts  clear  ash  ; 
wing  with  two  white  bars.  Beak  conical,  black  ;  feet  brown. 
Bird  considerably  smaller  than  a  sparrow.  Sexes  similar. 

THIS   most    abundant   and   familiar    of    all    our 
native  sparrows   comes  to   us  about  the  middle  of 


Family  Fringillidcc — CJ tipping  Sparrow    109 

April,  and  remains  until  mid-October.  They  are  to 
be  found  most  abundantly  on  or  near  the  ground, 
in  parks  and  gardens,  about  houses,  and  along  quiet 
roads.  Their  confiding  habits  have  rendered  them 
well  known,  and  they  are  not  ordinarily  likely  to  be 
confounded  with  any  other  sparrow.  Occasionally, 
however,  they  may  be  found  in  dry,  bushy  fields 
together  with  the  field  sparrow.  The  differences 
between  these  two  very  similar  species  have  already 
been  enumerated.  (See  No.  54.) 

The  nest  is  usually  placed  not  far  from  the 
ground  in  shrubbery  or  vines.  When  trees  are  se- 
lected, cedars  are  preferred ;  but  an  orchard  or  oc- 
casionally a  shade  tree  may  be  chosen.  Its  habit 
of  lining  the  nest  with  horse-hair  has  given  rise 
to  the  common  name  of  hairbird.  Eggs  are  laid 
about  the  first  of  June,  and  there  are  two  sets. 

The  ordinary  note  is  a  single  chip ;  besides  this, 
there  is  a  long,  monotonous  trill,  somewhat  like  a 
watchman's  rattle,  which  is  sometimes  given  rapidly, 
sometimes  more  slowly. 

LITERATURE  : 

Upland  and   Meadow.      (Art.  "  Twixt  Cold  and  Heat.")  — C.  C. 
ABBOTT. 


no          Land  Birds  of  New  England 


56.    TREE   SPARROW ;  WINTER   CHIPBIRD 

(  Spizella  mon ticola . ) 

Upner  parts  gray,  streaked  with  black,  bay,  and  flaxen  ;  crown 
chestnut,  bordered  on  either  side  by  a  broad  gray  stripe,  and  this 
again  by  a  narrow  chestnut  stripe  which  runs  through  the  eye  ; 
wing  with  two  white  bars  ;  under  parts  ashy  ;  sides  of  belly 
somewhat  rusty  ;  breast  with  an  obscure  dusky  spot  in  the  cen- 
tre. Beak  conical,  dark  above,  light  below  ;  feet  strong,  dark. 
Bird  nearly  as  large  as  an  English  sparrow.  Sexes  similar. 

THE  tree  sparrow  is  one  of  our  winter  residents, 
arriving  in  late  October  or  early  November,  and 
remaining  until  early  May.  During  most  of  the 
season  when  he  is  here,  the  field  sparrows  and  chip- 
ping sparrows,  with  which  he  may  very  easily  be 
confounded,  are  in  the  South ;  but  the  three  birds 
overlap  in  the  spring  and  fall.  It  may  therefore  be 
worth  while  to  point  out  that  the  tree  sparrow  differs 
from  the  others  in  being  distinctly  larger,  and  in 
ordinarily  having  an  obscure  dark  spot  on  the 
breast.  He  is  to  be  sought  in  weedy  fields  and 
along  roadsides,  and  often  in  apple-trees.  It  is 
very  common  to  find  him  with  his  mates  in  com- 
pany with  black  snowbirds,  though  he  usually  rather 
avoids  the  neighborhood  of  houses. 

Breeding  takes  place  in  Arctic  countries  only  ; 
the  nest  is  placed  on  the  ground  or  in  a  low  bush. 

The  song  is  loud,  clear,  and  strong,  starting,  ac- 


Family  Fringillidce —  Sparrow.  1 1 1 

cording  to  Brewer,  "with  two  high  notes,  then  fall- 
ing rapidly,  and  ending  with  a  low,  sweet  warble." 
The  song  usually  begins  in  late  March,  but  may 
occasionally  be  heard  in  November  or  December. 


57.    WHITE-THROATED   SPARROW 
PEABODY  BIRD 

(Zonotrichia  albicollis . ) 

Male :  upper  parts  streaked  with  brown,  black  and  flaxen  ;  head 
with  longitudinal  black  and  white  stripes  and  a  yellow  spot 
in  front  of  each  eye ;  under  parts  dark  gray,  often  obscurely 
streaked;  throat  pure  white;  wings  with  two  white  bars;  tail 
long,  brown.  Beak  conical,  dark  ;  feet  horn-color.  Bird  about 
the  size  of  the  English  sparrow.  Female  :  similar  but  with 
duller  colors,  and  the  stripes  of  the  head  brown  and  white,  in- 
stead of  black  and  white. 

THE  white-throated  sparrow  comes  to  us  in  April, 
and  leaves  in  May  for  the  north,  and  on  his  south- 
ward return  spends  the  month  of  October  with  us. 
During  migration  they  are  usually  seen  in  small 
flocks  in  the  neighborhood  of  low  bushes  and 
shrubs.  They  spend  a  great  deal  of  time  on  the 
ground,  where  their  large  size  and  rather  fearless 
disposition  render  them  conspicuous. 

The  white-throat  nests  in  northern  New  England, 
and  at  a  few  points  in  Massachusetts  ;  the  nest  is 
usually  placed  on  the  ground,  in  or  near  a  swamp, 
though  sometimes  it  is  built  in  bushes. 


112  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

With  us  this  bird  rarely  sings,  although  it  may  be 
heard  both  in  spring  and  fall  ;  but  farther  north  his 
call  is  a  familiar  woodland  sound.  It  consists  of 
two  long  clear  notes  (which  are  not  so  easily 
heard  as  the  remaining  ones),  followed  by  two  or 
three  triplets.  It  has  been  variously  translated  as 
Old-Sam-Peabody-Peabody-Peabody ;  all-day-whit- 
tling-whittling-whittling ;  or  by  homesick  French 
Canadians,  as  La-belle-Canada-Canada-Canada. 


58.     SAVANNA   SPARROW 
(Ammodramus  sandwichensis  savanna.) 

Upper  parts  streaked  with  bay,  black,  and  flaxen;  under  parts 
white  or  buffish,  thickly  marked  on  breast  and  sides  of  belly 
with  dark  brown  spots,  some  of  which  rarely  run  together  to 
form  an  obscure  blotch  on  the  breast ;  head  with  a  yellowish 
line  above  the  eye  and  sometimes  a  suffusion  of  yellow  in  front 
of  it.  Beak  conical,  brown  ;  feet  light  brown.  Bird  a  little 
smaller  than  an  English  sparrow.  Sexes  similar. 

NOTE.  —  This  species  is  an  extremely  variable  one  ;  fall  specimens 
are  much  more  brightly  colored  than  spring  and  summer  ones. 

THIS  timid  little  bird  is  an  extremely  local  spar- 
row ;  it  is  said  to  be  most  abundant  in  the  salt 
water  marshes  and  their  neighborhood.  It  spends 
its  time  almost  exclusively  on  the  ground  in  pas- 
tures and  open  fields,  several  pairs  usually  frequent- 
ing the  same  field  or  strip  of  shore.  It  is  especially 


Family  Fringillidce —  Vesper  Sparrow    113 

abundant  about  the  middle  of  April  and  again  in 
October,  although  many  spend  the  entire  summer 
with  us. 

The  nest  is  placed  on  the  ground  ;  eggs  are  laid 
late  in  May,  and  there  are  two  sets. 

The  song  is  quaint  and  simple,  but  not  especially 
musical.  In  the  region  of  New  York  they  sing  dur- 
ing the  later  part  of  the  spring  migration,  i.e.,  any- 
where froitr  the  ninth  of  April  to  the  second  of  May. 


59.    VESPER  SPARROW;   GRASS   FINCH 
BAY-WINGED   BUNTING 

(Pooccetes  gramineus.) 

Upper  parts  gray,  streaked  with  dusky  brown  and  flaxen  ;  wing 
with  two  white  bars  ;  tail  with  outer  feathers  wholly  or  largely 
white  ;  upper  parts  white  or  buff,  heavily  marked  on  breast  and 
sides  of  belly  with  brown  spots.  Beak  conical,  brown  ;  feet 
brown.  Bird  as  large  as  an  English  sparrow.  Sexes  similar. 

THE  vesper  sparrow  comes  to  us  about  the  middle 
of  April,  and  leaves  again  in  late  October.  He  is 
to  be  sought  in  open  fields  and  pastures,  and  about 
newly  ploughed  ground.  He  is  readily  recognized, 
because  he  is  the  only  sparrow-like  bird  which  shows 
white  tail  feathers  in  flight.  He  spends  much  of  his 
time  upon  the  ground,  although  by  no  means  so 
restricted  to  it  as  his  name  would  seem  to  imply. 
He  owes  his  other  name  of  vesper  sparrow  to  the 


H4          Land  Birds  of  New  England 

fact  that  he  sings  with  peculiar  sweetness  and  energy 
as  night  comes  on. 

The  nest  is  placed  upon  the  ground,  usually  in 
a  pasture  or  other  open  field.  Eggs  are  laid  in  the 
latter  part  of  May,  and  there  are  two  sets. 

The  song  resembles  somewhat  that  of  the  song 
sparrow,  though  it  is  less  lively.  It  is  sometimes 
heard  at  mid-day,  but  more  commonly  in  the  early 
morning  or  toward  dusk.  Song  continues  in  the 
region  of  New  York  to  late  July  or  early  August, 
and  once  discontinued  is  not  resumed  in  the  same 
year. 

60.     SNOWFLAKE  ;  WHITE    SNOWBIRD 
SNOW   BUNTING. 

(Plect?  'ophen  ax  n  IT  a  Us . ) 

Male :  back  and  much  of  the  wings  and  tail  black  ;  head,  rump, 
and  under  parts  white  ;  both  white  and  black  more  or  less  over- 
laid with  warm  brown  ;  wings  and  tail  largely  white.  Beak 
conical,  light  brown  ;  feet  black.  Bird  distinctly  larger  than  a 
sparrow.  Sexes  often  similar,  save  that  the  female  is  some- 
what smaller,  but  female  oftener  much  browner  than  the  male, 
sometimes,  indeed,  of  a  streaky  brown  above  and  a  brownish 
white  below. 

NOTE.  —  This  description  applies  to  the  winter  plumage,  the  only 
one  likely  to  be  seen  by  an  observer  in  the  United  States. 

THESE  birds  are  very  irregular  in  their  appearance. 
They  may  be  looked  for  in  any  open  ground  where 
seed-bearing  weeds  are  to  be  found,  but  are  espe- 


Family  Fringillidce — American  Goldfinch   115 

daily  numerous  near  the  coast,  where  they  feed 
upon  small  shell-fish.  They  commonly  move  in 
flocks,  which  often  contain  thousands  of  individuals, 
and  may  then  be  seen  "  whirling  like  a  flurry  of 
snow  before  alighting  on  the  ground." 

The  sudden  flurries  of  snowbirds 
Like  brown  leaves  -whirling  by. 

LOWELL. 

They  may  be  seen  at  any  time  in  the  winter,  but 
are  most  likely  to  appear  after  there  has  been  a 
heavy  snowstorm  in  the  north. 

Breeding  occurs  in  the  Arctic  regions.  One  nest 
was  found  "  situated  in  a  cave  in  a  sandbank." 

The  note  which  I  have  most  commonly  heard  is 
a  weak  chirrup,  often  uttered  when  on  the  wing. 
Minot  speaks  also  of  a  "  clearly  piped  whistle." 


61.    AMERICAN  GOLDFINCH ;  YELLOW  BIRD 
THISTLE   BIRD 

(Spinus  tristis.) 

Male  in  spring  plumage :  entire  body  clear  yellow ;  forehead, 
wings,  and  tail  black,  the  last  two  with  white  markings.  Beak 
conical,  horn  colored  ;  feet  horn  colored.  Bird  about  two-thirds 
as  large  as  a  sparrow.  Female  and  male  in  fall  plumage: 
upper  parts  olivaceous  ;  under  parts  yellowish  gray  ;  wings  and 
tail  dusky,  marked  with  white. 

THIS  beautiful  little  bird  comes  to  us  in  March  or 
early    April,   and  leaves  again  in  October,  though 


Ii6          Land  Birds  of  New  England 

some  individuals  always  winter  with  us.  He  may 
be  looked  for  in  weedy  pastures,  but  especially  in 
the  neighborhood  of  seeding  sunflowers  and  thistles. 
Indeed,  his  devotion  to  this  latter  plant  has  gained 
for  him  the  name  of  the  "  thistle  bird." 

Except  at  the  breeding  season  goldfinches  are 
usually  found  in  small  flocks ;  at  that  time  they 
separate  into  pairs.  The  nest  is  placed  at  a  mod- 
erate height  in  a  crotch  of  a  bush  or  deciduous 
tree,  usually  near  the  roadside.  It  is  commonly 
built  in  late  June  or  early  July ;  but  the  time  varies 
considerably,  as  does  also  the  time  of  egg-laying. 

The  flight  is  undulating,  consisting  of  alternate 
risings  and  sinkings,  and  is  accompanied  by  a  call 
which  has  been  translated  into  the  syllables,  pretty- 
little-bird,  or  per-chick-o-pee.  In  addition,  the  birds 
when  at  rest  give  forth  a  song  which,  while  not 
strong,  is  clear  and  liquid.  Song  begins  in  the 
vicinity  of  New  York  usually  between  the  middle 
of  March  and  the  middle  of  April.  It  continues 
sometimes  to  the  end  of  August,  but  there  is  no 
second  song-period. 

LITERATURE: 

Little  Brothers  of  the  Air.  —  OLIVE  THORNE  MILLER. 


Family  Fringillidcz  —  Redpoll.  1 1 7 


62.     REDPOLL     (Acanthias  linaria.} 

Male :  upper  parts  mottled  dusky  and  flaxen ;  wings  and  tail 
brown  ;  wing  with  two  white  cross  bars  ;  forehead  and  breast, 
and  sometimes  rump,  rosy  ;  rest  of  under  parts  white,  some- 
what streaked  with  dusky.  Bill  small,  conical,  horn-colored  ; 
feet  dark.  Bird  considerably  smaller  than  a  sparrow.  Female  : 
similar,  save  that  the  forehead  only  is  rosy,  and  the  under 
parts  are  more  streaked. 

THESE  confiding  little  birds  may  be  found  during 
the  winter  in  loose  flocks,  often  associated  with  other 
birds,  in  weedy  fields  and  other  places  where  they 
can  find  seeds.  They  sometimes  climb  along  the 
branches  of  shrubs,  head  downward,  like  chicka- 
dees. They  are  very  irregular  in  their  visits,  but 
may  be  looked  for  any  time  from  November  to 
March. 

They  breed  in  northern  regions,  and  the  nest  is 
built  on  the  ground. 

The  note  is  a  peculiar  little  call,  something  like 
the  syllables  chett  or  chett-cher-rett,  and  is  fre- 
quently uttered  while  the  birds  are  feeding  or  flying 
from  place  to  place. 


Ii8  Land  Birds  of  New  England 


63.    WHITE-WINGED   CROSSBILL 

{Loxia  leiicoptera^) 

Male :  dull  rosy  red,  brownish  on  back ;  wings  and  tail  dark 
brown;  wing  with  two  white  crossbars.  Beak  large  and  strong, 
the  upper  part  shutting  against  the  side  of  the  lower  one,  as  in 
scissor  blades.  Bird  about  the  size  of  a  sparrow.  Female: 
upper  parts  yellow-brown  ;  rump  yellow  ;  under  parts  yellow- 
gray  ;  wing  with  two  white  bars. 

THE  white-winged  crossbill  frequents  cone-bear- 
ing trees,  and  has  much  the  same  habits  as  the 
American.  It  is,  like  that,  an  erratic  winter  visitor, 
but  it  is  much  less  common. 

Breeding  is  not  known  to  occur  in  southern 
New  England.  The  nest  is  built  in  deep  woods, 
usually  in  a  cone-bearing  tree.  Chamberlain  speaks 
of  finding  nests  in  New  Brunswick  in  January  and 
February,  so  that  it  is  possible  that  this  species 
may  have  the  same  habit  of  occasional  winter- 
breeding  which  marks  the  American  crossbill. 

The  song  is  said  by  Brewer  to  be  "  irregular  and 
varied,  but  sweet  and  musical." 


Family  Fringillida —  American  Crossbill  119 

64.     AMERICAN  CROSSBILL ;  RED   CROSSBILL 

{Loxia  curvirostra  minor.) 

Male  :  dull  brick-red,  somewhat  mottled  with  brownish  ;  tail  and 
wings  dark  brown,  almost  black.  Beak  large  and  strong,  the 
upper  part  shutting  against  the  side  of  the  lower  one  like  the 
blades  of  a  pair  of  scissors.  Bird  about  the  size  of  a  sparrow. 
Female:  grayish  green  above;  yellowish  gray  below;  rurnp 
yellowish  green. 

THE  American  crossbill,  though  resident  in  north- 
ern New  England,  comes  to  us  only  as  an  extremely, 
irregular  visitant,  chiefly  in  winter.  When  it  does 
appear,  it  is  always  in  a  flock,  often  made  up  largely 
of  birds  of  other  kinds,  especially  the  white-winged 
crossbill.  It  is  found  especially  in  rather  deep  co- 
niferous woods,  where  it  feeds  upon  the  seeds  which 
its  curious  beak  is  well  adapted  to  extract  from  the 
cone. 

The  nest  is  usually  placed  in  a  dense  wood  on  an 
evergreen  tree,  at  a  considerable  height  from  the 
ground.  Crossbills  have  been  known  to  breed, 
though  rarely,  in  Massachusetts  ;  and  they  have  the 
very  exceptional  custom  of  breeding,  occasionally  at 
least,  in  January  or  February,  though  March  is  the 
more  common  time. 

The  song  consists  of  a  "  number  of  loud  flute- 
like  notes  frequently  intermingled  with  several  harsh 
chattering  tones."  And  the  female,  contrary  to  the 


I2O          Land  Birds  of  New  England 

usual  custom  of  birds,  is  said  to  sing  quite  as  well 
as  the  male. 

LITERATURE: 

Nidification  of  Loxia  curvi  rostra  americana. — "Bulletin  of  the 
Nuttall  Ornithological  Club,"  1880. 


65.     PURPLE   FINCH ;  LINNET 
(farpodacus  pur  pur  ens.) 

Male:  body  brownish  rose,  brighter  on  crown;  wings  and  tail 
brown.  "  His  color  .  .  .  looks  as  if  it  might  have  been  imparted 
by  dipping  a  brown  bird  in  diluted  pokeberry  juice." — Burroughs. 
Beak  large,  conical,  light  brown;,  feet  brown.  Bird  about  the 
size  of  a  sparrow.  Female:  upper  parts  dusky  olive-brown, 
somewhat  mottled  ;  under  parts  white,  heavily  marked  with 
dusky  brown  ;  wings  and  tail  uniform  dull  brown. 

THE  purple  finch  frequents  the  orchard,  the  gar- 
den, and  the  edges  of  the  woodland.  He  is  often 
to  be  found  on  fruit-trees  and  elm-trees  when  they 
are  in  blossom,  as  he  is  fond  of  the  flower  buds. 
He  is  a  resident,  but  more  abundant  in  the  warmer 
months  from  early  April  to  October. 

The  nest  is  placed  at  a  moderate  height,  some- 
times in  a  pine  or  cedar,  sometimes  in  a  deciduous 
tree,  and  occasionally  in  a  bush  or  hedge.  Eggs 
are  laid  about  the  first  of  June,  and  there  are  often 
two  sets. 

This  bird  is  one  of  our  beautiful  songsters  ;  he 


Family  Fringillidce —  Purple  Finch      121 

may  be  found  singing  at  any  part  of  the  day, 
perched  usually  at  the  top  of  a  high  tree.  Song 
begins  in  the  neighborhood  of  New  York  any  time 
from  the  first  week  in  March  to  the  fourth  week  in 
April,  and  continues  until  mid-July.  In  the  fall  a 
weak,  desultory  song  may  be  heard  during  the 
month  of  October,  and  often  in  late  September. 

His  song  approaches  an  ecstasy,  and  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  winter  wretfs  is  the  most  rapid  and  copious 
strain  to  be  heard  in  these  woods.  It  is  quite  destitute 
of  the  trills  and  the  liquid ',  silvery,  bubbling  notes  that 
characterize  the  wren's ;  but  there  runs  through  it  a 
rounded,  nicely  modulated  whistle,  very  sweet  and  very 
pleasing.  —  BURROUGHS. 


122          Land  Birds  of  New  England 


FAMILY   ICTERID^S 

66.     PURPLE   GRACKLE  ;  CROW  BLACKBIRD 
{Quiscalus  quiscula.) 

Male :  lustrous  black  above  and  below  with  purple  reflections  ; 
head,  throat,  and  f  orebreast  of  a  rich  metallic  blue,  which  varies 
much  in  brilliance  with  age  and  condition.  Beak  black,  very 
large  and  strong ;  feet  black ;  tail  extremely  long.  Female : 
similar,  but  black  rather  faded,  and  lustre  less  marked.  Female 
about  the  size  of  a  robin,  male  distinctly  larger. 

THE  purple  grackles  come  in  early  April,  and  stay 
until  November.  On  their  first  arrival  they  may 
be  met  in  large  flocks  on  open  land,  sometimes 
clinging  to  a  solitary  tree  until  they  blacken  all  its 
branches. 

The  blackbirds  clatfrin'1  in  tall  trees, 

An1  settlin"1  things  in  windy  congresses.  —  LOWELL. 

During  the  summer  they  live  in  pairs,  often  asso- 
ciated in  communities,  but  come  together  in  large 
flocks  for  the  autumn  months.  They  may  be  found 
on  open  ground,  walking  instead  of  hopping  over 
the  fields,  and  searching  for  the  insects  which  form 
a  large  part  of  their  diet.  Unfortunately  for  the 
farmer,  they  may  also  be  found  in  freshly  planted 
fields  and  amid  ripening  grain,  where  they  feed 
upon  corn,  often  doing  immense  injury  to  crops. 


Family  Icteridce —  Rusty  Blackbird      123 

The  nest  is  usually  placed  in  an  evergreen,  some- 
times very  high,  sometimes  not  more  than  six  feet 
from  the  ground.  Eggs  are  laid  about  the  middle 
of  May. 

The  note  is  a  loud  chatter  or  scream. 

LITERATURE: 

Upland  and  Meadow.  —  C.  C.  ABBOTT. 

A  Bird  Louer  in  the  West.  —  OLIVE  THORNE  MILLER. 

In  Nesting-Time,  —  IBID. 

67.  RUSTY  BLACKBIRD;  RUSTY  GRACKLE 

(Scotecophagus  carotin  us . ) 

Entire  body  rusty  black  with  metallic  green  reflections.     Bill  long 
and  dark ;  feet  dark.     Bird   about   the   size   of   a   robin.     Sexes 
similar,  but  female  more  rusty  and  rather  smaller  than  male. 
NOTE.  —  This  description  applies  to  the  winter  plumage,  the  form 
which  is  commonly  seen. 

THE  rusty  grackles  appear  in  most  of  New  Eng- 
land only  as  spring  and  fall  migrants.  They  come 
to  the  region  of  Boston  in  late  March,  and  pass  on 
before  the  end  of  April  ;  and  they  are  with  us  again 
in  September  and  October.  They  usually  appear 
in  flocks,  often  associated  with  other  blackbirds, 
and  are  most  commonly  to  be  found  in  open  and 
somewhat  marshy  country.  Like  other  blackbirds, 
they  walk  instead  of  hopping. 

The  nests  are  built  in  bushes  in  swampy  tangle. 
The  birds  breed  sparingly  in  northern  New  England. 

The  note  is  the  ordinary  blackbird  chuck,     Ac- 


124          Land  Birds  of  New  England 

cording  to  Bicknell  they  sing  during  both  spring  and 
fall  migrations ;  and  the  authors  of  North  American 
Birds  mention  "  a  very  pretty  note,"  which  they  re' 
gard  as  characteristic  of  early  summer. 


68.    BALTIMORE   ORIOLE ;  GOLDEN  ROBIN 
FIREBIRD;    HANGNEST 

(Icterus  galb  ula.) 

Male :  head,  .throat,  and  back  black ;  rump  and  under  parts  from 
the  throat  back,  fiery  orange;  outer  part  of  tail  orange,  middle 
part  black ;  wings  black,  with  a  little  white  on  them,  but  not 
enough  to  make  a  wing  bar.  Beak  long,  strong,  and  dark.  Bird 
nearly  midway  in  size  between  a  sparrow  and  a  robin.  Female  : 
head  and  back  olivaceous  ;  rump  and  under  parts  yellow  ;  tail 
olivaceous  yellow  ;  wings  dusky  with  two  white  bars. 

This  is  one  of  our  famous  beauties  of  bird  life, 
noted  alike  for  its  .flash  of  color,  its  assiduity  in  sing- 
ing, and  its  skill  at  the  loom.  —  COUES. 

IT  is  a  familiar  bird  of  the  streets  and  parks,  es- 
pecially abundant  among  elms.  Its  flight  is  singu- 
larly rapid  and  direct,  hence  the  flash  of  its  color. 

Aly  oriole,  my  glance  of  summer  fire. —  LOWELL. 

It  comes  to  the  vicinity  of  Boston  about  the  tenth 
of  May,  timing  its  coming  by  the  blossoming  of  the 
fruit-trees,  and  it  leaves  us  again  in  September. 
The  males  arrive  first,  and  the  character  of  the  song 
is  said  to  be  quite  different  during  and  after  the 
period  of  bachelor  solitude. 


Fam ily  Icteridce  —  Mcadozvlark         125 

The  nest  is  purse-shaped,  and  is  attached  to  the 
very  end  of  a  bough,  preferably  of  an  elm.  Eggs 
are  laid  about  the  first  of  June. 

The  song  is  a  loud,  clear  whistle,  in  which  may 
be  noticed  at  intervals  the  syllables  tu-wee  tu-wee. 
''The  female,  too,  has  her  own  peculiar  and  very 
pretty  notes,  which  she  incessantly  warbles  as  she 
weaves  her  curiously  elaborate  nest."  The  oriole 
sings  from  the  time  of  arrival  to  departure,  but  is 
nearly  silent  in  July,  and  in  August  sings  only  in  the 
early  morning,  and  then  but  a  few  simple  notes. 

LITERATURE  : 

A  Naturalist's  Rambles.     (Art.  "  A  Short  Study  of  Birds'  Nests.") 

—  C.  C.  ABBOTT. 

Birdiuays.  — OLIVE  THORNE  MILLER. 
In  Nesting-Time.  — IBID. 


69.     MEADOWLARK;    FIELDLARK 

(Sturnella  magna.) 

Upper  parts  dark  brown,  streaked  with  flaxen,  the  general  effect 
being  somewhat  like  that  of  a  sparrow's  back ;  under  parts 
bright  yellow,  the  forebreast  crossed  by  a  heavy  black  crescent ; 
outer  tail  feathers  largely  white.  Beak  long,  strong,  black  ; 
feet  horn-color.  Sexes  similar,  save  that  the  female  is  smaller 
and  somewhat  duller.  Size  of  male  about  that  of  a  robin ; 
female  distinctly  smaller. 

THIS  beautiful  bird  frequents  the  meadows  and 
pasturelands  from  spring  until  late  fall,  and  accord- 
ing to  Brewster,  is  common  near  the  coast  even 


126          Land  Birds  of  New  England 

during  the  winter  months.  I  have  been  most  fortu- 
nate in  finding  him  in  fields  which  are  not  far  re- 
moved from  streams.  He  spends  a  large  part  of 
his  time  on  the  ground,  where  he  walks  instead 
of  hopping.  His  flight  is  very  characteristic,  con- 
sisting of  a  few  rapid  movements  and  then  a  long 
sail.  Shelley's  lines,  though  written  of  another 
bird,  fit  the  meadowlark  to  perfection  :  — 

In  the  golden  lightning 

Of  the  sunken  sun, 
O'er  which  clouds  are  brightening 

Thou  dost    FLOAT    AND    RUN. 

The  nest  is  usually  built  on  the  ground  in  a 
meadow,  on  or  near  a  tussock  of  grass.  Eggs  are 
laid  about  the  last  of  May. 

The  song  consists  of  a  long,  clear,  and  somewhat 
plaintive  whistle,  "a  flute-note  sweet  and  high," 
and  the  bird  is  one  of  our  noticeable  singers.  He 
sings  from  the  ground,  from  a  tree-top,  or  when  on 
the  wing.  In  the  vicinity  of  New  York  he  may  be 
first  heard  anywhere  from  early  February  until  early 
April,  and  he  continues  sometimes  until  the  third 
week  of  August.  After  a  long  silence,  song  is  re- 
sumed in  October  and  early  November. 


Family  Icteridce —  Red- Winged  Blackbird    127 


70.     RED-WINGED   BLACKBIRD 

SWAMP  BLACKBIRD  ;  MARSH  BLACKBIRD 

(Agelaius  phceniceus.) 

Male:  entirely  black,  save  for  a  red  patch  bordered  behind  with 
yellow  on  each  shoulder.  (The  red  feathers  are  sometimes  dis- 
placed, so  that  they  do  not  show.)  Beak  and  feet  strong  and 
dark  (in  male  black).  Bird  nearly  as  large  as  a  robin.  Female : 
upper  parts  in  general,  including  wings  and  tail,  faded  black; 
head  sopiewhat  mottled  with  whitish ;  under  parts  white, 
heavily  marked  with  blackish  brown. 

Gay  soldier  blackbirds,  wearing  on  their  shoulders 
Red  gold-edged  epaulets.  —  THAXTER. 

THESE  showy  birds  are  inhabitants  of  low,  wet 
fields,  thickets,  and  marshes.  They  are  often  to  be 
seen  on  the  ground,  either  singly  or  in  pairs ;  and  they 
are  especially  noticeable  in  such  circumstance  from 
the  fact  that  they  walk  instead  of  hopping,  as  do  most 
birds.  In  the  fall,  when  parental  duties  are  over, 
they  assemble  in  large  flocks,  and  may  then  be  found 
on  any  open  ground.  They  come  to  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Boston  in  late  March,  and  leave  in  October. 

The  nest  is  built  in  swamps  or  meadows,  either  on 
a  tussock  on  the  ground  or  in  a  bush,  especially  the 
alder.  Eggs  are  laid  in  the  latter  part  of  May. 

The  redwing  has  a  very  characteristic  note. 
Thoreau  translated  it  into  con-qua-ree ;  Emerson 
says,  "The  redwing  flutes  his  oka-lee."  The  first 
two  syllables  are  short  and  liquid,  the  third  is  a 


128          Land  Birds  of  Nezv  England 

long,  creaking  note.  Unfortunately,  unless  one  is 
near  the  bird,  the  first  notes  are  apt  to  be  missed. 
The  chief  song  months  are  March,  April,  and  early 
May;  but  he  does  not  entirely  cease,  at  least  in  the 
neighborhood  of  New  York,  until  mid-July,  and  re- 
news his  music  for  a  few  days  in  October. 

LITERATURE  : 

Birdivays.  —  OLIVE  THORNE  MILLER. 

71.     COWBIRD     (Molothrus  ater.) 

Male :  both  upper  and  under  parts  of  lustrous  black  with  green  and 
purple  reflections  ;  head  and  neck  dark  brown.  Beak  large, 
conical,  black  ;  feet  dark  brown  or  black.  Bird  about  halfway 
in  size  between  a  robin  and  a  sparrow.  Female  :  upper  parts 
brownish  gray,  obscurely  mottled  ;  under  parts  similar  but  a 
little  lighter. 

THE  cowbirds  come  to  us  in  early  April,  and  leave 
in  late  September.  They  are  to  be  found  either 
singly  or  in  small  flocks,  usually  perched  on  or  near 
the  tops  of  trees  in  open  country,  and  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  ploughed  fields.  The  common  name  is  due 
to  their  fondness  for  seeking  food  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  cattle.  When  on  the  ground,  a  place  they 
rarely  choose,  they  have  the  habit  of  walking  rather 
than  hopping,  which  characterizes  blackbirds  in 
general.  They  come  to  us  about  the  first  of  April, 
and  leave  about  the  middle  of  October. 

The  cowbirds  build  no  nest,  but  drop  the  eggs  in 
the  nests  of  other  birds,  usually  choosing  those  of 


Family  Icteridce  —  Bobolink  129 

birds  considerably  smaller  than  themselves.  The 
laying  season  is  from  April  until  the  middle  of  June. 

The  notes  are  for  the  most  part  unmusical  —  a 
loud  chuck-see,  produced  only  after  the  most  laugh- 
able contortions,  is  the  most  common  one.  There 
is  also,  however,  a  "  clear,  rather  shrill,  whistle,  usu- 
ally followed  by  a  few  similar  but  falling  notes." 

Bicknell  describes  the  complete  song  as  end- 
ing with  a  sound  "curiously  like  that  of  bubbling 
water,"  and  adds  that  in  the  later  part  of  the  season 
this  closing  portion  is  often  omitted.  Song  becomes 
infrequent  in  June,  and  ends  in  early  July,  to  be 
resumed  again  during  the  month  following  mid- 
September. 

72.     BOBOLINK  ;  SKUNK  BLACKBIRD 
REEDBIRD ;  RICEBIRD 

(Dolichonyx  oryztvonis.) 

Male  in  summer  plumage  :  upper  parts  largely  and  under  parts 
wholly  black,  often  somewhat  impure  ;  a  dorsal  half-collar  of 
buff  ;  rump  and  upper  part  of  tail  ashy  white.  Beak  black,  con- 
ical. Female  and  male  in  winter  :  upper  parts,  including  wings 
and  tail,  dark  brown  streaked  with  yellowish  brown  ;  under 
parts  uniform  yellowish  brown.  Beak  horn-color,  conical.  Feet 
in  both  sexes  strong,  horn-color  in  female,  darker  in  male. 
Bird  rather  larger  than  a  sparrow. 

THE  bobolink  should  be  sought  in  meadows,  espe- 
cially in  such  as  border  a  stream.  They  come  to  us 
in  early  May,  and  leave  in  September.  Like  his  rel- 


130          Land  Birds  of  New  England 

atives,  the  bobolink  walks  instead  of  hopping  when 
he  chances  to  be  on  the  ground ;  but  he  is  much 
more  likely  to  be  met  in  a  tree,  swinging  on  some 
slender  weed,  or  hovering  in  the  air,  ever  pouring 
forth  that  ecstatic  flood  of  melody  which  poets  have 
tried  in  vain  to  imitate  or  even  describe.  Unlike 
most  birds,  the  bobolink  sings  all  day  long,  and  its 
"  mad  music  "  needs  only  to  be  heard  to  be  recog- 
nized. Some  of  its  syllables  resemble  the  word 
bobolink ;  but  aside  from  this,  the  impetuous  rush 
of  song  is  unlike  that  of  any  other  bird.  The  fol- 
lowing translation  of  his  song,  u  if  repeated  rapidly 
with  a  rising  inflection  in  each  part,  illustrates  it 
very  well  :  Tom  noodle,  Tom  noodle,  you  owe  me, 
you  owe  me,  ten  shillings  and  sixpence.  I  paid 
you,  I  paid  you ;  you  didn't,  you  didn't ;  you  lie, 
you  lie;  you  cheat."  —  MINOT. 

The  bobolink  sings  into  early  July,  the  song  grad- 
ually waning  in  beauty  and  frequency  until  it  ceases  ; 
later  he  has  only  a  single  short  note  of  a  softly  me- 
tallic tone. 

The  nest  is  built  on  the  ground  in  meadows  amid 
long  grass,  and  is  usually  well  concealed.  Eggs  are 
laid  about  the  first  of  June. 

LITERATURE: 

Little  Brothers  of  the  Air.  —OLIVE  THORNE  MILLER. 
Birds  and  Poets.     (Art.  "  Birds  and  Poets.") —  BURROUGHS. 


Family  Corvidce  —  American  Crow       131 


FAMILY 

73.     AMERICAN  CROW;  COMMON  CROW 

(Corvus  cunericanus.) 

Body  entirely  black  both  above  and  below,  beak  and  feet  strong 
and  black.  Sexes  similar,  but  female  smaller.  Male  nearly 
twice  the  length  of  a  robin. 

CROWS  remain  the  entire  year  with  us ;  they  may 
be  found  almost  anywhere  on  open  ground.  They 
spend  much  time  on  the  earth,  where  they  walk  in- 
stead of  hopping.  In  winter  I  have  found  them  in- 
clined to  be  carnivorous,  and  readily  attracted  by 
meat  when  they  are  quite  sure  that  it  does  not 
conceal  a  trap.  During  the  day  a  few  only  are  or- 
dinarily to  be  found  together;  but,  except  at  the 
breeding  season,  large  numbers  congregate  to  spend 
the  night  at  some  especially  attractive  spot.  Thence 
they  fly  out  in  the  morning  for  their  day's  foraging, 
and  thither  they  return  again  in  the  evening,  often 
in  bands,  flying  in  a  long  line. 

The  blackening  trains  o1  craws  to  their  repose.  —  BURNS. 

The  wariness  and  sagacity  of  crows  have  given  occa- 
sion for  many  anecdotes,  and  make  these  birds  espe- 
cially interesting  ones  to  study. 

The  nest  is  placed  usually  in  high,  thick  woods, 


132  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

preferably  in  a  pine  or  cedar,  and  usually  far  up  in 
the  tree.     Eggs  are  laid  early  in  May. 
The  only  note  is  the  familiar  caw. 

LITERATURE  : 

Little  Brothers  of  the  Air.  —  OLIVE  THORNE  MILLER. 


74.     BLUE   JAY     (Cyanocitta  cristata.) 

Upper  parts  gray-blue ;  wings  and  tail  bright  blue  with  black  bars 
and  with  conspicuous  white  markings  ;  under  parts  gray  ;  fore- 
breast  crossed  by  a  black  crescent  which  is  continued  up  as  a 
narrow  black  band  over  the  crown.  Crest  present.  "  His  saucy 
crest  seems  to  be  held  in  place  by  a  band  of  black  velvet  ribbon 
passing  under  his  chin."  Beak  and  feet  strong,  black.  Bird 
distinctly  larger  than  a  robin.  Sexes  substantially  alike,  but 
color  of  female  rather  less  intense. 

THE  jay  may  be  found  in  any  part  of  the  woods, 
or,  indeed,  in  open  land  in  the  neighborhood  of 
trees.  He  is  conspicuous  among  birds  for  his  habit 
of  walking  instead  of  hopping  over  the  ground. 
Some  jays  spend  the  entire  year  with  us,  but  the 
greater  number  go  south  for  the  winter. 

The  nest  is  usually  placed  in  an  evergreen,  at  a 
moderate  height,  and  often  near  the  trunk.  Eggs 
are  laid  in  the  later  part  of  May. 

He  [the  blue  jay]  is  to  be  despised  as  a  murderer,  a 
thief,  a  rioter,  and  a  disturber  of  the  general  peace. 
In  the  slaughter  of  babes  .  .  .  he  out-Herods  Herod. 
He  sneaks  into  the  nests  of  smaller  birds,  sucking  their 


Family  Corvidce  —  Blue  Jay  133 

eggs  or  killing  their  young  .  .  .  and  spreading  sor- 
row wherever  he  goes.  In  the  stealing  of  grain  he 
rivals  the  crow.  .  .  .  As  a  leader  of  riots,  though  a 
coward,  he  does  not  hesitate  occasionally  to  tease  the 
hawks  .  .  .  or  to  take  advantage  of  the  owls  when 
confused  by  daylight.  .  .  .  As  a  disturber  of  the  gen- 
eral peace,  he  delights  to  spread  terror  among  other 
birds  by  imitating  the  cries  of  hawks,  cr  to  deceive 
them  by  pretending  distress.  —  MlNOT. 

The  ordinary  note  is  a  scream,  often  uttered  on 
the  wing,  which  bears  some  resemblance  to  the 
syllable  jay  ;  but  the  bird  is  credited  besides  with  a 
rich,  bell-like  note.  He  is  said  also  to  possess  the 
power  of  mimicry  and  that  of  ventriloquism.  The 
utterance  of  any  note,  save  when  he  is  on  the  wing, 
is  accompanied  by  most  ludicrous  motions. 

LITERATURE  : 

In  Nesting-Time. — OLIVE  THORNE  MILLER. 

A  Bird  Lover  in  the  West  — IBID. 

Little  Brothers  of  the  Air.—  IBID. 

A  Naturalist's  Rambles.    (Art.  "  Three  Beeches.")  —  C.  C.  ABBOTT. 


134          Land  Birds  of  New  England 


FAMILY    TYRANNID^E. 

75.     LEAST  FLYCATCHER;    CHEBEC 
(Empidonax  minimus^) 

Upper  parts  olive-gray  ;  wing  with  two  white  bars  and  white  edges 
to  many  of  the  quills  ;  under  parts  impure  white  except  the  fore- 
breast,  which  is  grayish.  Beak  broad,  flat,  upper  mandible  dark, 
lower  one  light ;  feet  black.  Bird  rather  less  than  two  thirds  the 
size  of  a  sparrow,  but  with  head  and  shoulders  so  large  as  to 
make  it  look  like  a  dwarf.  Sexes  similar. 

THIS  droll  little  bird  comes  to  us  in  early  May, 
and  leaves  again  about  the  middle  of  September. 
He  frequents  orchards  and  also  the  edges  of  wood- 
land, especially  that  composed  of  birches,  maples, 
or  beeches.  When  he  has  selected  his  home  for 
the  summer,  he  often  confines  himself  with  some 
closeness  to  a  single  group  of  trees.  He  has  all  the 
ordinary  fly-catcher  habits,  such  as  flirting  the  tail, 
scolding  in  a  harsh,  unmusical  voice,  and  dashing 
into  the  air  to  catch  a  flying  insect ;  and  it  is  as  irre- 
sistibly ludicrous  to  see  this  pygmy  thus  engaged, 
as  to  see  small  children  mimicking  their  papas  and 
mammas. 

The  nest  is  placed  in  an  orchard  or  woodland 
tree,  at  a  moderate  height  above  the  ground.  Eggs 
are  laid  early  in  June,  and  there  are  two  sets. 

The  song-note  is  a  loud,  emphatic,  but  unmusical 


Family   Tyrannidcz —  Wood  Peivee      135 

cry,  resembling  the  syllables  che-bec.  Song  ceases 
in  the  neighborhood  of  New  York  in  late  June  or 
early  July,  and  appears  not  to  be  resumed. 


76.     WOOD   PEWEE    (Contopus  virens.) 

Upper  parts  olivaceous  ;  wings  and  tail  dusky,  wing  with  two 
white  bars  ;  under  parts  in  general  yellowish  white  ;  forebreast 
and  sides  of  belly  tinged  with  grayish.  Beak  broad,  flat,  upper 
mandible  dark,  lower  one  usually  yellow  ;  feet  black.  Bird  dis- 
tinctly smaller  than  a  sparrow.  Sexes  similar. 

A  little  bird  in  suit 
Of  sombre  olive,  soft  and  brown, 
Perched  in  the  maple  branches  mute  ; 
With  greenish  gold  its  vest  -Was  fringed, 
Its  tiny  cap  was  ebon-tinged, 
With  ivory  pale  its  wings  -were  barred, 
And  its  dark  eyes  were  tender-starred.  —  TROWBRIDGE. 

THIS  plaintive  little  creature  comes  to  us  only  in 
the  latter  part  of  May,  and  leaves  again  in  early 
September.  He  is  to  be  sought  entirely  in  woods, 
either  dry  or  swampy,  but  is  most  likely  to  be 
found  in  the  evening  in  the  neighborhood  of  wooded 
pools  and  lakes,  which  afford  an  abundance  of  the 
flying  insects  upon  which  he  feeds.  When  once 
discovered  he  may  be  conveniently  studied,  owing 
to  his  habit  of  returning  day  after  day  to  the  same 
place  at  about  the  same  time.  He  has  the  usual 
flycatcher  habit  of  selecting  a  post  of  observation 


136          Land  Birds  of  New  England 

(usually  in  this  case  from  ten  to  forty  feet  above 
the  ground),  whence  he  dashes  out  after  an  insect, 
returning  after  its  capture  to  the  same  spot. 

The  nest  is  usually  placed  in  an  oak  at  a  con- 
siderable distance  above  the  ground.  Eggs  are 
laid  about  the  middle  of  June,  and  there  are  often 
two  sets. 

The  note  is  a  plaintive  pee-u-ee,  often  shortened 
to  pee-u.  He  sings  especially  in  the  early  morning 
and  late  evening,  often  when  it  is  quite  dark.  In 
the  neighborhood  of  New  York  his  song  ceases  at 
any  time  between  late  July  and  the  end  of  August, 
although  occasional  songs  may  be  heard  in  Sep- 
tember. 

LITERATURE  : 

Little  Brothers  of  the  Air.  —  OLIVE  THORNE  MILLER. 

77.     PHCEBE  ;   PEWIT  ;  WATER   PEWEE 

(Sayornis 


Upper  parts  grayish  brown,  darker  on  head  ;  under  parts  impure 
white,  passing  into  light  gray-brown  on  sides  and  breast.  Wing 
usually  but  not  always  with  a  white  bar.  Bill  broad,  flat,  dark  ; 
feet  black.  Bird  about  the  size  of  a  sparrow.  Sexes  similar. 

THE  phcebe  comes  to  us  about  the  first  of  April, 
and  leaves  in  early  October.  His  comparatively 
fearless  disposition  and  characteristic  habits  unite 
to  render  him  familiar.  He  frequents  somewhat 


Family   Tyrannidcz  —  PJicebe  137 

open  ground  where  insects  are  abundant,  and  selects 
a  good  post  of  observation  not  very  far  from  the 
ground.  From  this  he  makes  constant  sallies,  paus- 
ing in  mid  air,  and  returning  to  his  perch  as  if  he 
had  suddenly  changed  his  mind.  If  one  be  near 
enough,  however,  one  can  hear  the  click  of  the 
beak  which  announces  the  fate  of  the  unhappy 
insect  in  pursuit  of  which  he  dashed  out.  While 
perched  he  has  a  characteristic  fashion  of  flirting 
his  tail.  Minot  remarks,  that  in  feeding  from  a 
swarm  of  very  small  insects,  he  frequently  hovers 
with  the  body  almost  erect,  and  sustained  by  a 
rapid  beating  of  the  wings.  He  is  almost  never  to 
be  found  upon  the  ground. 

The  nest  is  placed  on  any  projecting  surface, 
under  the  shelter  of  a  bridge,  ledge,  or  roof  of  a 
building,  or  sometimes  beneath  a  ledge  of  rock. 
The  bird  is  in  the  habit  of  coming  back  year  after 
year  to  the  same  place.  Eggs  are  laid  early  in  May, 
and  there  are  two  sets. 

The  note  is  a  somewhat  harsh  and  querulous  one, 
resembling  the  word  phcebe.  The  first  syllable  is 
smooth,  the  second  rough  and  broken. 

Beside  tJie  common  call-note  .  .  .  they  /iaz>e,  during 
the  love  season ,  a  low^  twittering  song  ^v^th  which  they 
entertain  their  mates,  but  which  is  heard  only  when 
the  birds  are  in  company ',  and  for  a  brief  season.  — 
NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS. 


138  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

LITERATURE : 

Little  Brothers  of  the  Air.  —  OLIVE  THORNE  MILLER. 
In  Nesting-Time.  —  IBID. 


78.     CRESTED   FLYCATCHER 

{Myiarchus  crinitus. 

Upper  parts  olivaceous  ;  throat  and  forebreast  slate,  passing  into 
yellow  on  the  belly  ;  wing  with  two  whitish  bars,  and  the  quills 
edged  some  with  whitish  and  some  with  chestnut  ;  tail  with  the 
inner  side  of  each  quill  chestnut,  so  that  the  tail  looks  decid- 
edly reddish  from  below.  Slight  crest.  Beak  broad,  flat,  black  ; 
feet  black.  Bird  about  half-way  in  size  between  a  robin  and 
a  sparrow. 

THIS  fine  bird  comes  to  us  about  the  middle  of 
May,  and  leaves  again  early  in  September.  It  is 
a  rather  rare  and  local  bird,  but  I  have  met  it  in 
Wellesley  without  special  search.  It  frequents  wood- 
lands, choosing  deciduous  rather  than  evergreen 
trees,  and,  so  far  as  my  experience  goes,  choosing 
the  edges  rather  than  the  deeper  part.  He  usually 
perches  near  the  top  of  a  high  tree,  whence  he 
makes  those  sallies  after  insects  which  are  charac- 
teristic of  the  whole  flycatcher  group.  In  the  fall, 
however,  he  is  said  to  feed  almost  entirely  upon 
various  kinds  of  berries. 

The  nest  is  built  in  the  hollow  of  a  tree  or  occa- 
sionally in  a  bird-box,  and  the  place  selected  is 
either  woodland  or  a  deserted  orchard.  Eggs  are 
laid  about  the  middle  of  June. 


Family   Tyrannidce —  Kingbird          139 

The  bird  "  may  be  recognized  by  its  singular 
notes  —  one  a  harsh,  explosive  outcry  of  one  sylla- 
ble, pitched  in  a  high  key,  and  others  sounded  in 
guttural  tone  two  or  three  times  —  all  suggestive 
of  the  bird's  irritable  and  impulsive  nature."  — 
STEARNS  AND  COUES.  Bicknell  states  that  in  July 
and  early  August  the  voice  nearly  or  quite  fails, 
and  the  note  is  single,  faint,  and  somewhat  mourn- 
ful. In  late  July  they  attempt  a  return  to  the  harsh 
outcry  of  the  early  summer. 

79.    KINGBIRD;   BEE   MARTIN 

(  Tyran n us  tyran n us . ) 

Upper  parts  blackish  brown  ;  under  parts  white,  somewhat  tinged 
with  gray  on  the  sides  ;  tail  with  white  tip  ;  some  of  wing 
feathers  with  white  edgings  ;  crown  with  a  yellow  spot  which 
is  ordinarily  to  be  seen  only  by  parting  the  feathers.  Crown 
feathers  may  be  erected  into  a  low  crest.  Beak  broad,  strong, 
and  black  ;  feet  black.  Bird  about  half  way  in  size  between  a 
sparrow  and  a  robin.  Sexes  similar. 

THIS  active  and  pugnacious  bird  may  be  found 
in  fields  and  along  roadsides.  He  is  commonly 
perched  on  a  post  or  low  bough  on  the  lookout  for 
insects.  His  sudden  dart  into  the  air  or  down  to 
the  ground,  followed  by  a  return  to  the  post  of 
observation,  is  extremely  characteristic.  Sometimes 
one  may  even  hear  the  click  of  the  bill  which  an- 
nounces the  fate  of  the  unhappy  insect.  He  is 


140          Land  Birds  of  New  England 

with  us  from  early  May  until  September.  Park- 
hurst  notes  that  in  bathing  he  flies  from  his  perch 
directly  into  the  stream,  dashes  the  water  over  his 
back,  and  returns  to  his  place,  repeating  the  per- 
formance several  times.  It  is  perhaps  this  habit 
which  has  given  rise  to  the  unfounded  idea  that  he 
feeds  upon  small  fish. 

He  owes  his  name  to  the  fact  that  he  is  the  one 
small  bird  who  ventures  to  attack  the  marauding 
crow,  and  that  he  always  comes  off  victorious.  Ris- 
ing above  his  foe,  he  drops  down  upon  his  back, 
attacking  him  with  beak  and  claws  until  the  un- 
lucky intruder  makes  off  in  ludicrous  consternation. 

The  nest  is  usually  placed  at  a  moderate  height 
on  the  horizontal  bough  of  a  tree  in  the  orchard  or 
by  the  wayside.  Eggs  are  laid  early  in  June. 

The  note  is  a  sharp  twitter,  often  somewhat  re- 
sembling that  of  the  swallow. 

LITERATURE  : 

Little  Brothers  of  the  Air.  —  OLIVE  THORNE  MILLER. 


Fa  m  ily  Troch  Hi  dee  —  Hu  m  m  ingb  ird      141 


FAMILY    TROCHILID^J 

80.    RUBY-THROATED  HUMMINGBIRD 

(  Tro chilus  colubris.) 

Male :  upper  parts  green  ;  wings  and  tail  dusky ;  under  parts 
grayish  ;  throat  in  different  lights  may  look  slate,  or  brilliant 
metallic  red.  Beak  long,  black,  and  needle-like;  feet  tiny. 
Female:  in  general  similar,  but  the  throat  is  white,  specked 
with  dark,  and  the  outer  tail  feathers  are  tipped  with  white. 
The  male  from  tip  of  tail  to  tip  of  beak  appears  about  three 
inches  long,  and  the  female  is  about  half  an  inch  less. 

The  least  of  birds,  a  jewelled  sprite 

With  burnished  throat  and  needle  bill.  —  SILL. 

THESE  exquisite  little  beings  are  attracted  espe- 
cially by  long-tubed  flowers,  such  as  the  nasturtium, 
the  trumpet  creeper,  and  the  honeysuckle.  They 
are  singularly  fearless,  coming  readily  into  the  im- 
mediate neighborhood  of  houses,  or  even  of  persons. 
I  have  had  the  same  bird  come  twice  over  to  poise 
before  a  cluster  of  nasturtiums  which  I  held,  brush- 
ing the  hand  which  held  them,  and  seeming  to  re- 
gard it  as  a  new  and  improved  kind  of  flower-stem. 
They  may  be  found  all  through  the  summer,  from 
early  May  even  to  mid-September. 

The  nest  is  usually  placed  on  the  limb  of  an  oak 
or  an  orchard  tree,  and  so  thickly  covered  with 
lichens  as  to  look  like  a  part  of  the  branch.  It  has 


142          Land  Birds  of  New  England 

been  known,  however,  to  be  attached  to  the  stalk  of 
a  large  weed.     Eggs  are  laid  early  in  June. 

There  is  no  song,  but  a  constant  buzz  like  that 
of  the  bee,  due  not  to  the  voice,  but  to  the  wings. 
The  cry  is  a  sharp,  high  squeak,  only  emitted  in 
moments  of  great  excitement. 

LITERATURE : 

Upland  and  Meadow.  —  C.  C.  ABBOTT. 

The  Footpath   Way.     (Arts.  "A  Widow  and  Twins,"  and  "The 

Male  Ruby-throat.")  —  BRADFORD  TORREY. 


Family  Micropodidce —  Chimney  Swift    143 


FAMILY   MICROPODID^S 

81.    CHIMNEY  SWIFT  ;  CHIMNEY  "  SWALLOW  " 

(Chcetura  pelagic  a.) 

Entire  body,  both  above  and  below,  a  sooty  brown,  lighter  on  the 
throat;  wings  black.  Beak  extremely  small  and  weak,  black  ; 
feet  small,  black.  Bird  with  very  long  wings,  and  a  tail  so  short 
as  to  be  almost  absent  ;  tail  feathers  with  spiny  tips.  Bird 
considerably  smaller  than  a  sparrow. 

THE  chimney  swift  reaches  us  early  in  May,  and 
leaves  again  in  August  or  September.  He  is  readily 
recognized  by  his  skimming,  swallow-like  flight,  and 
apparent  want  of  tail.  He  is  a  very  common  bird ; 
but  as  he  is  always  on  the  wing,  save  when  in  his 
roosting-place,  it  is  impossible  to  predict  where  he 
may  be  found.  The  best  way  to  study  these  birds 
is  to  find  a  chimney  which  they  inhabit,  and  watch 
them  as  they  gather  in  great  flocks  toward  evening, 
circling  about  the  chimney,  and  gradually  dropping 
into  it. 

The  nests  are  ordinarily  fastened  to  the  inside  of 
a  chimney,  though  in  sparsely  settled  regions  the 
birds  are  said  to  still  build  them  as  they  formerly 
did,  in  hollow  trees.  Eggs  are  laid  about  the  end 
of  May,  and  there  are  often  two  sets. 


144          Land  Birds  of  New  England 

The  only  note  is  a  loud  chip,  or  a  rapidly  accel- 
erated chatter,  which  may  be  heard  all  through  the 
summer,  except  in  cool  evenings. 

LITERATURE  : 

Up  the  Chimney.  —  FRANK  BOLLES.      Popiilar   Science  Monthly, 


Family  Picidce —  Flicker  145 


FAMILY 

82.      FLICKER;   HIGH-HOLE 

GOLDEN-WINGED    WOODPECKER 
PIGEON  WOODPECKER 

(  Colaptes  a  u  rat  us . ) 

Male :  upper  parts  in  the  main  dull  brown  barred  with  black  ; 
head  gray-brown  with  a  scarlet  band  at  the  nape,  and  a  black 
cheek  patch  on  either  side  of  the  mouth  ;  rump  white ;  throat 
and  forebreast  lilac-brown  shading  into  white  on  the  belly ; 
breast  with  broad  black  crescent,  and  under  parts  behind  this 
thickly  marked  with  circular  black  spots  ;  wings  and  tail  largely 
yellow  beneath.  Beak  large  and  strong,  dark  ;  feet  dark.  Bird 
considerably  larger  than  a  robin.  Female  :  similar,  save  that 
the  black  cheek  patches  are  usually  absent. 

THIS  abundant  and  lively  bird  may  be  looked 
for  in  any  woodland,  in  parks  or  orchards,  or  even 
on  the  open  ground  far  from  trees.  When  among 
trees  it  often  perches  like  ordinary  birds,  instead  of 
clinging  against  the  trunk  like  other  woodpeckers. 
It  is  a  strong  flier ;  and  in  a  good  light  the  golden 
under  side  of  the  wings,  appearing  and  disappear- 
ing, lends  a  beautiful  shimmer  to  its  movements. 
It  is  a  resident,  but  less  common  in  winter  than 
at  other  times.  They  usually  appear  in  numbers 
about  the  first  of  April. 

The  nest  is  a  hole  dug  out  usually  in  the  trunk  of 


146          Land  Birds  of  New  England 

a  tree  at  a  moderate  height  above  the  ground. 
Oaks,  maples,  and  apple-trees  are  favorites  ;  and 
the  nest  is  ordinarily  placed  in  the  woods,  or  at 
least  not  in  an  isolated  tree.  Eggs  are  laid  in  the 
latter  part  of  May. 

One  of  the  most  common  cries  consists  of  two 
notes  frequently  repeated,  which  resemble  some- 
what the  syllables,  flicker,  yucker,  or  yarrup,  by  all  of 
which  names  the  bird  is  known.  The  spring-time 
note  "  imitates  a  prolonged  and  jovial  laugh,  heard 
at  a  considerable  distance." — AUDUBON. 

LITERATURE  : 

//?  Nesting-Time. — OLIVE  THORNE  MILLER. 
Little  Brothers  of  the  Air.  —  IBID. 


83.     DOWNY  WOODPECKER 

{Dry abates  pubescens.) 

A  miniature  edition  of  the  hairy  woodpecker,  save  that  the  outer 
tail  feathers,  instead  of  being  entirely  white,  are  barred  with 
black.  The  scarlet  patch  is  lacking  in  the  female  of  this,  as  of 
the  larger  species.  The  bird  is  about  the  size  of  a  sparrow. 

THIS  bird  is  our  commonest  woodpecker,  and  is 
abundant  not  only  in  woods  but  in  orchards.  Save 
in  this  respect,  its  habits,  as  well  as  its  appearance, 
agree  with  those  of  the  hairy  woodpecker  (g.  ?>.). 
There  is  no  such  difference  in  the  character  of  the 
plumage  as  the  common  names  might  imply. 


Family  Picidce —  Hairy    Woodpecker    147 

It  is  to  this  little  fellow  that  we  are  indebted  for 
the  regular  rows  of  small  holes  which  so  often  mark 
our  apple-trees.  They  are  drilled  as  a  necessary 
means  of  obtaining  the  insect  grubs  and  larvae 
which  burrow  beneath  the  bark,  and  which  form 
a  large  item  in  his  bill  of  fare. 

The  nest  is  a  hole  excavated  in  a  tree,  or  rarely  in 
a  post.  Apple,  birch,  and  poplar  trees  are  favor- 
ites. Eggs  are  laid  about  the  end  of  May.  Accord- 
ing to  Minot,  "The  ordinary  note  is  a  chink  or  chick, 
which  they  most  often  utter  on  alighting  on  some 
tree  or  fence.  Occasionally  they  repeat  this  rapidly 
(as  chick- a-chick-chick  chick-chick)." 


84.     HAIRY  WOODPECKER 
{Dry abates  villosus.) 

Male  :  upper  parts  in  the  main  blackish  brown,  barred  and  spotted 
with  white  ;  back  black,  with  broad  white  band  down  the  mid- 
dle ;  head  black,  with  white  band  above  the  eye  and  another 
below  it  ;  back  of  head  with  scarlet  patch  ;  outer  tail  feathers 
white ;  under  parts  white.  Beak  strong  and  dark  ;  feet  dark, 
two  toes  turned  back  and  two  forward.  Bird  nearly  as  large 
as  a  robin.  Female :  similar,  but  without  the  scarlet  patch. 

THIS  bird  is  one  of  our  rarer  woodpeckers,  and 
is  less  often  seen  than  the  downy,  not  only  because 
it  is  less  common,  but  also  because  it  is  more  in- 
clined to  keep  in  the  woods.  It  may  be  found  in 


148  Land  Birds  of  New  England 

any  woods,  clinging  against  the  trunks,  and  hammer- 
ing away  as  it  drills  a  hole  into  the  tree  in  search 
of  the  insect  larvae  which  form  its  food.  During 
this  operation,  it  supports  itself  not  only  by  its  feet, 
but  by  the  pointed  tips  of  its  tail  feathers,  which  it 
sticks  into  roughnesses  of  the  bark.  Owing  to  this 
structure  of  the  tail,  the  bird  never  runs  down  a 
trunk  like  the  nuthatches,  but  always  up.  It  spends 
the  year  with  us,  but  is  more  common  in  the  fall 
and  winter,  as  it  breeds  only  locally  in  southern 
New  England. 

The  nest  is  a  hole  excavated  usually  in  a  trunk  of 
a  tree,  either  in  orchards  or  in  woodlands.  Eggs 
are  laid  about  the  middle  of  May. 

The  bird  is  usually  silent,  so  far  as  any  call  is 
concerned,  though  the  wood  may  ring  with  his  ham- 
mering; the  voice  is,  however,  said  to  be  loud  and 
harsh. 


Family  Alcedinidce —  Belted  Kingfisher  149 


FAMILY   ALCEDINIDCE]. 

85.     BELTED   KINGFISHER 

{Ceryle  alcyon.) 


Male:  Upper  parts  gray-blue  with  a  conspicuous  white  collar; 
under  parts  in  general  white,  but  with  a  broad  gray-blue  band 
across  the  breast ;  sides  under  the  wings  gray-blue.  Crest  large 
and  conspicuous.  Beak  very  strong,  longer  than  the  head,  dark. 
Feet  brown,  tarsus  (i.  e.,  the  first  joint  above  the  toes)  very  short. 
This  condition  is  compensated  by  having  the  joint  next  above 
the  tarsus  partly  bare  of  feathers.  Bird  distinctly  larger  than  a 
robin.  Female  :  similar,  but  with  a  chestnut  belly-band  in  addi- 
tion to  the  blue-gray  breast-band,  and  with  the  sides  under  the 
wings  chestnut. 

THESE  fine  birds  spend  as  large  a  part  of  the  year 
as  possible  with  us,  being  forced  south  only  by  the 
freezing  of  the  streams  from  which  they  draw  their 
food.  They  come  in  March,  and  leave  in  Novem- 
ber. They  may  be  found  in  the  neighborhood  of 
any  pond  or  large  stream,  but  are  not  abundant,  as 
one  pair  usually  pre-empts  an  entire  body  of  water. 

The  nest  is  a  long  burrow  in  a  sandy  or  gravelly 
bank,  usually  near  the  water.  Eggs  are  laid  about 
the  end  of  May. 

The  cry,  loud  and  hoarse,  is  not  unlike  a  watch- 
man's rattle. 


LITERATURE  : 

A  Naturalist's  Rambles.  —  C.  C.  ABBOTT. 


150          Land  Birds  of  New  England 


FAMILY    CUCULID^J. 

86.     BLACK-BILLED   CUCKOO  ;  RAIN  CROW 

(  Coccyzus  erytJirophtJialnms . ) 

Upper  parts  olive-gray ;  under  parts  white ;  tail  much  roundedy 
very  long,  and  with  the  outer  feathers  with  small  whitish  tips, 
which  are  hardly  noticeable  in  flight.  Beak  long,  almost  en- 
tirely black,  upper  mandible  much  curved ;  feet  dark.  Bird 
about  the  size  of  a  robin.  Sexes  similar. 

THE  black-billed  cuckoo  arrives  late  in  May,  and 
leaves  us  again  early  in  September.  He  frequents 
low,  swampy  woods  and  shrubbery,  but  is  also  to  be 
found  more  or  less  in  cultivated  ground.  He  seems 
to  be  attracted  by  caterpillars  of  various  sorts ;  one 
year,  when  the  oak  caterpillar  caused  great  damage 
to  the  college  trees,  the  cuckoo  appeared  to  abate 
the  nuisance.  He  is  at  no  time  very  abundant, 
though  commoner  in  the  neighborhood  of  Boston 
than  farther  north. 

The  nest  is  usually  placed  in  a  low  shrub  or  tree 
in  wet  woodland,  and  is  commonly  only  a  few  feet 
from  the  ground.  Eggs  are  laid  in  June. 

The  notes  are  somewhat  varied,  but  all  resemble 
somewhat  remotely  the  word  cuckoo. 

LITERATURE: 

Little  Brothers  of  the  Air.  —  OLIVE  THORNE  MILLER. 


Family  Cnculidce  —  Yellow-Billed  Cuckoo   151 


87.    YELLOW-BILLED  CUCKOO  ;  RAIN  CROW 

(Coccyzus  americanus.} 

Upper  parts  olive  gray,  shading  into  reddish  brown  on  the  wings  ; 
under  parts  white  ;  tail  much  rounded,  very  long,  and  with  the 
outer  quills  marked  with  large,  conspicuous  white  tips.  Beak 
long,  upper  mandible  much  decurved  and  almost  entirely  black, 
lower  mandible  almost  entirely  yellow ;  feet  dark.  Bird  about 
the  size  of  a  robin.  Sexes  similar. 

THE  yellow-billed  cuckoo  is  in  general  habits 
similar  to  the  black-billed.  He  is  with  us  a  rarer 
bird,  and  ordinarily  inhabits  high,  dry,  and  wooded 
land. 

The  notes  are  similar  to  those  of  the  more  famil- 
iar species. 

According  to  Burroughs,  although  he  is  rarely  to 
be  seen  by  day,  he  wanders  freely  about  at  night. 
"  His  peculiar  guttural  note,  now  here,  now  there, 
may  be  heard  almost  any  summer  night  in  every 
part  of  the  country,  and  occasionally  his  better 
known  cuckoo  call." 


152          Land  Birds  of  New  England 


ORDER  LIMICOLJE. 

88.     SPOTTED   SANDPIPER;   TIP-UP 

TEETER-TAIL;   SOLITARY  TATTLER 

(A  ctitis  macularia . ) 

Upper  parts  olive-gray  marked  with  cross  bars  of  blackish  ;  under 
parts  spotted  with  sharply  outlined  blackish  spots  ;  edge  of  wing 
and  tips  of  tail  feathers  marked  with  white.  Beak  about  an 
inch  long,  slender,  pale  ;  legs  long  and  bare  for  some  distance 
above  the  first  joint,  pale.  Bird  distinctly  larger  than  a  sparrow. 
Sexes  similar,  save  that  in  the  female  the  spots  on  the  under 
parts  are  larger  and  more  crowded. 

THE  spotted  sandpiper  comes  to  us  in  early  May, 
and  leaves  again  in  October.  Although  not  a  land 
bird,  he  is  included  in  our  list  because  he  is  so  likely 
to  be  found  in  similar  haunts.  He  is  the  commonest 
of  all  our  marsh  birds,  and  is  frequently  to  be  met 
along  low  river  shores,  where  he  is  easily  recognized 
from  his  habit  of  jerking  the  hind  part  of  his  body 
and  his  tail  up  and  down  with  a  motion  as  regular 
as  that  of  clockwork.  From  this  peculiarity  he  has 
received  the  name  of  tip-up  or  teeter-tail.  The 
flight,  too,  is  unusual ;  it  consists  of  a  quick  stroke, 
followed  by  a  long  slide  close  above  the  surface  of 
the  stream. 

The  nest  is  placed  upon  the  ground  in  a  field  or 
meadow,  usually  near  water. 


Order  Limicolce — Solitary  Sandpiper    153 

The    note   resembles   the    syllables   peet-weet  or 
peet-weet-weet-weet. 


LITERATURE: 

Birds  and  Seasons. —WILSON  FLAGG. 


89.    SOLITARY  SANDPIPER; 
SOLITARY  TATTLER 

(Totanus  solitaries.) 

Upper  parts  olive-gray,  marked  with  small  white  spots  ;  under 
parts  white,  sides  of  neck  and  breast  shaded  with  mottled  gray- 
brown.  Beak  about  an  inch  long,  slender,  dark ;  legs  long, 
dark,  bare  above  the  first  joint.  Bird  about  half-way  in  size 
between  a  sparrow  and  a  robin.  Sexes  similar. 

THE  solitary  sandpiper,  like  the  spotted  one,  is 
not  a  land  bird,  and  is  included  in  our  list  only  for 
convenience.  It  may  occasionally  be  met  during 
the  migration  seasons  on  the  shores  of  fresh-water 
ponds  and  lakes.  It  spends  only  a  short  time  here, 
however,  passing  northward  to  breed.  Its  habits 
are  in  general  much  like  those  of  the  spotted  sand- 
piper. 

Breeding  takes  place  in  Northern  New  England 
and  northward.  The  only  nest  which  has  been  dis- 
covered was  placed  upon  the  ground. 

The  bird  is  usually  silent  except  when  suddenly 
flushed ;  at  such  times  it  utters  a  sharp  whistle. 


INDEX 


PAGE 

Acanthias  linaria      ....  117 

Actitis  macularia 152 

Agelaius  phceaiceus    ....  127 
Ammodramus     sandwichensis 

savanna 112 

Ampelis  cedrorum      ....  89 

Bee  martin 139 

Blackbird,  crow 122 

marsh 127 

red-winged 127 

rusty 123 

skunk      .......  129 

swamp 127 

Bluebird 39 

Bobolink 129 

Bunting,  bay-winged  ....113 

indigo 97 

snow 114 

Butcherbird 88 

Carpodacus  purpureus      .     .  120 

Catbird 63 

Cedarbird 89 

Certhia  familiaris  americana    .  55 

Ceryle  alcyon 149 

Chsetura  pelagica 143 

Chebec 134 


PAGE 

Chelidon  erythrogaster  ...  92 

Cherrybird 89 

Chewink 100 

Chickadee 51 

Chipbird,  winter no 

Cistothorus  palustris  .  .  .  .  57 

stellaris 58 

Clivicola  riparia 90 

Coccyzus  americanus.  „  .  .  151 

erythrophthalmus  .  .  .  150 

Colaptes  auratus 145 

Compsothlypis  americana  .  .  79 

Contopus  virens 135 

Corvus  americanus  ....  131 

Cowbird 128 

Creeper,  brown 55 

Crossbill,  American  ....  119 

red 119 

white-winged 118 

Crow,  American 131 

common 131 

rain 150,  151 

Cuckoo,  black -billed  .  .  .  .150 

yellow-billed 151 

Cyanocitta  cristata  .  .  .  .  132 

Dendroica  aestiva      ....  78 

blackburniae 74 


155 


156 


Index 


PAGE 

Dendroica,  coronata  ....  77 

discolor 70 

maculosa 76 

palmarum  hypochrysea      .  72 

pensylvanica 75 

vigorsii 73 

virens 71 

Dolichonyx  oryzivorus    .     .     .  129 

Dryobates  pubescens       .     .     .  146 

villosus 147 

Empidonax  minimus    .     .     .  134 

Fieldlark 125 

Finch,  grass 113 

purple 120 

Firebird .  124 

Flicker 145 

Flycatcher,  crested  ....  138 

least 134 

Galeoscoptes  caroline.isis     .  63 

Geothlypis  trichas       ....  66 

Goldfinch,  American  .     .     .     .  115 

Crackle,  purple 122 

rusty 123 

Greenlet,  blue-headed     ...  83 

red-eyed 87 

solitary 83 

warbling 85 

yellow-throated    ....  84 

Grosbeak,  rose-breasted      .     .  99 

Habia  ludoviciana     ....  99 

Hairbird 108 

Hangnest 124 

Harporhynchus  rufus      ...  62 

Helminthophila  ruficapilla  .     .  80 


PAGE 

High-hole 145 

Hummingbird,  ruby-throated  .  141 

Icterus  galbula 124 

Indigo-bird 97 

Jay,  blue 132 

Junco  hyemalis 105 

slate-colored 105 

Kingbird 139 

Kingfisher,  belted 149 

Kinglet,  golden-crested  ...  49 

golden-crowned   ....  49 

ruby-crowned 48 

Lanius  borealis 88 

Linnet 120 

Loxia  curvirostra  minor .     .     .  119 

leucoptera 118 

Martin,  purple 93 

Meadowlark 125 

Melospiza  fasciata      ....  104 

georgiana 102 

Merula  migratoria 41 

Mniotilta  varia 81 

Molothrus  ater 128 

Myiarchus  crinitus      ....  138 

Nuthatch,  Canada    ....  53 

Carolina 54 

red-bellied 53 

red-breasted 53 

white-bellied 54 

white-breasted      ....  54 

Oriole,  Baltimore      ....  124 

Ovenbird 68 


Index 


157 


PAGE 

Parus  atricapillus      ....  51 

Passer  domesticus 96 

Passerella  iliaca 101 

Passerina  cyanea 97 

Peabody  bird in 

Pewee,  water 136 

wood 135 

Pewit 136 

Phoebe 136 

Pipilo  erythrophthalmus      .     .  100 

Piranga  erythromelas      ...  95 

Plectrophenax  nivalis     .     .     .  114 

Poocaetes  gramineus  ....  113 

Progne  subis 93 

Quiscalus  quiscula   ....  122 

Redpoll 117 

yellow 72 

Redstart,  American    ....  65 

Reedbird 129 

Regulus  calendula      ....  48 

satrapa 49 

Ricebird 129 

Robin,  American 41 

golden 124 

ground    .......  100 

swamp 100 

Sandpiper,  solitary  ....  153 

spotted 152 

Sayornis  phoebe 136 

Scolecophagus  carolinus      .     .  123 

Seiurus  aurocapillus  ....  68 

noveboracensis    ....  67 

Setophaga  ruticilla      ....  65 

Shrike,  northern 88 

Sialia  sialis 39 


PAGE 

Sitta  canadensis 53 

carolinensis 54 

Snowbird,  black 105 

white 114 

Snowflake 114 

Sparrow,  chipping      ....  108 

English 96 

field 107 

fox 101 

house .     .  96 

savanna  .     .     .     .     .     .     .  112 

social 108 

song 104 

swamp 102 

tree no 

vesper 113 

white-throated      .     .     .     .  in 

Spinus  tristis 115 

Spizella  monticola      .     .     .     .  no 

pusilla 107 

socialis 108 

Sturnella  magna 125 

Swallow,  bank 90 

barn 92 

chimney 143 

tree 91 

white-bellied    .....  91 

Swift,  chimney 143 

Tachycineta  bicolor     ...  91 

Tanager,  scarlet 95 

Tattler,  solitary 152 

Teeter-tail 152 

Thistle  bird 115 

Thrasher 62 

brown 62 

Thrush,  brown 62 

golden-crowned    ....  68 


158 


Index 


PAGE 

Thrush,  hermit 43 

olive-backed 44 

water 67 

Wilson's 45 

wood 46 

Tip-up 152 

Titmouse,  black-capped  ...  51 

Totanus  solitarius 153 

Towhee 100 

Trochilus  colubris       ....  141 

Troglodytes  aedon      ....  60 

hiemalis 59 

Turdus  aonalaschkae  pallasii    .  43 

fuscescens 45 

Turdus  mustelinus      ....  46 

ustulatus  swainsonii      .     ,  44 

Tyrannus  tyrannus     .     .     .     .  139 

Veery 45 

Vireo,  blue-headed     ....  83 

flavifrons 84 

gilvus     • 85 

olivaceus 87 

red-eyed 87 

solitarius 83 

solitary 83 

warbling 85 

yellow-throated    ....  84 

Waxwing,  cedar      ....  89 

Warbler,  black  and  white    .     .  81 

black  and  white  creeping  .  81 


PAGE 

Warbler,  black-and-yellow  .     .  76 

Blackburnian 74 

black-throated  green     .     .  71 

blue  yellow-backed  ...  79 

chestnut-sided      ....  75 

golden 78 

magnolia 76 

myrtle 77 

Nashville 80 

parula 79 

P"ie 73 

pine-creeping 73 

prairie 70 

summer 78 

yellow 78 

yellow  palm 72 

yellow-rumped     ....  77 

Woodpecker,  downy  ....  146 

golden-winged      .     .     .     .  145 

hairy 147 

pigeon 145 

Wren,  house 60 

long-billed  marsh      ...  57 

short-billed  marsh     ...  58 

winter 59 


Yellow-bird 115 

Yellow-bird,  summer      ...  78 

Yellowthroat,  Maryland      .     .  66 

Zonotrichia  albicollis   .     ,    .  in 


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